My favourite, favourite artist... Today is the 115th anniversary of his birth. If you don't know his work, the Tate is a useful place to start, while the Sandham Memorial Chapel, home to a stunning series of First World War paintings, must be one of Britain's best-kept secrets.
PS: The scholarly website set up by Spencer's biographer, Kenneth Pople, includes a section on another of the WW1 works, Travoys With Wounded Soldiers, a scene from the Macedonia front, 1916. The unassuming Spencer served as a medical orderly during the conflict, which is one reason why the Sandham series adds an unexpectedly domestic touch to the images of battle:
In December 1919 the painting joined others in the major Exhibition of The Nation's War Paintings at Burlington House (the Royal Academy.) On Preview Day, turning from Piccadilly into the courtyard, Stanley was co-opted by an imperious gentleman descending from a cab to carry his bag. At the entrance an attendant stopped Stanley and told him he could go no further. The gentleman, taking his bag, gave Stanley sixpence and went on in. Stanley had to produce his invitation card to prove that indeed he could enter because he was one of the invited artists.