Portrait of Gwen Harter in a Red Bead Necklace, 1920s
Born in Cookham, Berkshire, Gilbert was the youngest brother of the artist Stanley Spencer (1891-1959). Like Stanley, Gilbert also studied at the Slade School of Art in London under the tuition of Henry Tonks (1862-1937). On leaving the college Gilbert pursued an art career in London, exhibiting at a number of venues including the New English Art Club and the Royal Academy of which he became a member in 1959. Throughout his career he was also a member of the Royal Watercolour Society. Besides being an artist Spencer was also a respected teacher. He served as Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art for sixteen years before undertaking senior positions at the Glasgow School of Art and later at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts in London. Although he was predominantly a landscape artist, Spencer's portraits in oil together with his drawings show considerable talent particularly for their draughtsmanship. The sitter in this portrait is Gwen Harter, who married the artist Sydney Carline (1888-1929), the brother of Stanley Spemcer's first wife Hilda Carline (1889-1950), herself a talented artist. This portrait would appear to date from the 1920s and the emphasis on the neckline is a characteristic feature of the period, as is the vivid background
