Gilbert Spencer, 
British 1892-1979 - 
Portrait of Mrs. Anne Carline, 1930; 
oil on canvas, signed and...

Gilbert Spencer, 
British 1892-1979 - 

Portrait of Mrs. Anne Carline, 1930; 

oil on canvas, signed and dated upper right 'Gilbert Spencer 1930', 114.5 x 82 cm (ARR) 

Provenance: 
Mrs Heap; 
Mrs H. MacLean, given by the above; 
Richard Carline, purchased from the above in 1961; 
Christie's, London, 12th June 1981, lot 56; 
with Thos. Agnews & Sons Ltd., London, no.44144 (according to the label attached to the reverse of the stretcher); 
with Messum's, London (according to the label attached to the reverse);
Sotheby's, London, 20th Century British Art, 18th March 2008, lot 44; 
Private Collection, purchased from the above 

Exhibition: 
Groupil Gallery, London, no.80, 1932; 
Reading Museum & Art Gallery, Reading, ‘The Retrospective Exhibition of the Work of Gilbert Spencer, RA, RWS’, 10 June–15 July 1964, no.32 (label in plastic folder attached to the reverse); 
Odney Club, Cookham Festival, Cookham, 'The Spencers and Carlines in the 1920s', 23rd May-2nd June 1973  (according to the label attached to the reverse of the stretcher); ; 
The Ashmolean, Oxford, 'The Ruskin Drawing School under Syndey Carline (Master 1922-1929) and His Staff', 8th July-8th September 1977, cat. no.41 (according to the label attached to the reverse of the stretcher) 

Literature: 
The Studio, 103:466, January 1932, p.45 illus.; 
Gilbert Spencer, 'Memoirs of a Painter', Chatto & Windus, 1974, p.90-91 

Note: 
the work is listed in the artist's online catalogue raisonné. 

There is an indistinct handwritten label stating, 

'Portrait of Mrs Anne Carline by Gilbert Spencer / painted in 1930 at 47 Downshire Hill, Hampstead (the sitter was writing her story for children 'Quinshie Pan ...', in the drawing room. / ...formally bought by Mrs Heap, given by her to Mr MacLean at ... / then purchased by Richard Carline, 1961. / Reproduced in The Studio. Jan 1932. First shown at the artist one-/ man show at the Gimpel Gallery, London, Feb: 1932. / From Richard Carline 17 Pond St Hampstead'. 

This highly sensitive portrait depicts Anne Carline (1862-1945), who was the mother of Hilda, Richard and Sydney Carline. Hilda Carline was the first wife of Gilbert's brother, Stanley Spencer. In 1927, Anne Carline had followed her children into painting, inspired by the artistic community that surrounded the Spencers and Carline, creating delicate domestic scenes. This work stands as a poignent display of her dignity and is a beautiful tribute by Gilbert Spencer. Hilda Carline created a similar portrait of Anne in 1929, 'Portrait of the Artist's Mother' and a portrait by Richard Carline of her is now in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.