How to use this catalogue

For ease of navigation, Spencer’s works are categorised by medium and subject:

Mediums

  • Oil Paintings
  • Works on Paper
  • Murals

Subjects

  • Agricultural
  • Biblical
  • Figures
  • Landscapes
  • Portraits
  • Urban, Interior, and Still Life (grouped together as one category)
  • War

Each category has a short introduction, making it easy to explore Spencer’s works by your interest area. You can also use the ‘Search’ function to find a title or keyword.

Details included with each work

Each entry includes:

  • Image
  • Location
  • Physical dimensions
  • Exhibition and publication history (if available)

Some works also include a brief description.

Inclusion in this catalogue does not constitute a firm attribution to Gilbert Spencer. Spencer's style was highly varied, and in the majority of cases, the authors have not inspected the works in person, although a handful of attributed works have been omitted due to stylistic incongruity.

Challenges with titles and dating

While Spencer only began exhibiting a century ago and passed away less than fifty years ago, many of his works have lost their original titles, and few are dated. This sometimes makes it challenging to position them accurately within his body of work. The authors have made efforts to reconnect works with their original titles and exhibition histories. We have also assigned dates where possible, based on Spencer’s style and whereabouts at the time.

Untraced works

Some exhibited works are untraced and included in the catalogue. These may match some pieces currently in private or public collections but remain unidentifiable for now. All known oil paintings and murals are included. Works on paper are a representative selection and appear only where an image is available, with the exception of a few particularly significant works.

Public and private collections

While Spencer’s work is well-represented in public collections in the UK and Commonwealth countries (particularly Australia, Canada, and South Africa), the majority remain in private collections.

  • Listings
    • Private Collection: For works with known locations or auction records (since the 1980s).
    • Unknown: For works with unknown locations.

The authors would appreciate hearing from anyone who holds a Gilbert Spencer work and is open to sharing information.