Woodland Landscape, possibly Grasmere through the Trees

The location of this woodland landscape is identifiable as Grasmere by the red-hued mountain (possibly Redbank) visible beyond the trees. It is one of a group of landscapes painted by Spencer while he was evacuated to Ambleside with the Royal College of Art. It has been tentatively identified as the 'Grasmere through the Trees' exhibited at the Leicester Galleries in 1946 (101) and may also be the painting exhibited under the title 'Trees at Grasmere' at the Royal Academy in 1949, though Spencer painted a number of views of Grasmere which are easily confused. Spencer was evidently comfortable painting enclosed woodland interiors since he painted several similar views in oils and watercolours. The variegated foreground recalls the camouflage of Spencer's Home Guard paintings which he was also carrying out around this time. 

Date: c. 1940-3
Inscriptions: lr: GILBERT SPENCER
Tags: Landscape, Oil Paintings
Medium: Oil on canvas
Height (mm): 660
Width (mm): 590
Location: Private collection
Exhibition History: Possibly Leicester Galleries 1946 (101) as 'Grasmere through the Trees'; possibly RA 1949 (703) as 'Trees at Grasmere'
Provenance: Thomson Roddick, Ayr, 20 November 2025 lot 285