Oxfordshire Wagon (alt. titles: Wagon, Garsington, The Hay Cart, Garsington)

Painted while lodging in the village of Garsington, Oxfordshire, close to Garsington Manor, where from c. 1923-6, Gilbert was welcomed into the circle of artists and writers around Sir Philip and Lady Ottoline Morrell. Wagons and farm carts were a favourite subject for Gilbert, whose childhood hobby was to make models of them from scraps of wood and boot leather. He gave this painting to his brother Stanley, who kept it for the rest of his life.

Date: c. 1924-8
Inscriptions: lr: Gilbert Spencer on wagon: Was? Dworth/GARSINGTON
Tags: Agricultural, Oil Paintings
Medium: Oil on panel
Height (mm): 330
Width (mm): 406
Location: Private collection
Exhibition History: Goupil 1929 (10); Counterpoint: Modern Realism 1910-1950, Fine Art Society, London (29) 2016; SSG 'The Cookham Brotherhood' 2024
Provenance: Gifted by the artist to his brother, Sir Stanley Spencer; by descent to his daughter; private collection, UK; Robert Upstone; with Jenna Burlingham; private collection
Literature: Gough 2024 illus. p. 140; Bradley Petitgas 2024 illus. p. 23