The Tower Of London

Gilbert Spencer R.A. 1892-1979, was an English painter and was the younger brother of the artist Sir Stanley Spencer. Gilbert painted in oil and watercolour, portrait, landscape, genre compositions and murals. He studied at the Camberwell School of Art, the Royal Academy and the Slade School of Art, where his works were influenced by Henry Tonks, he became a member of the New English Art Club and taught art at a number of institutions including, the Royal College, Camberwell, Oxford University and the Glasgow School. He was familiar with Lady Ottoline Morrel and the Bloomsbury set, he painted in a realistic direct manner with particular emphasis on colour and graduations of light, his works are in constant demand for the collector and art trade. This picture is signed Gilbert Spencer but in our humble opinion it is a painter other than he, the familiarity of the subject to Gilbert is something he would envisage and the colouration is certainly similar to his output. The period of the picture looks to be in the 1930's certainly a time when he would have been painting in the London area. However, the subject which is The Tower of London is probably the most famous of the London painterly subjects and this is a good example of such. The painting is currently housed in a slip frame and I believe an upgrade in the frame would improve the presentation but this is a personal decision and best left to the new owner. This is a great subject for a passionate supporter of the London art scene, the picture is a rare example of one of the most famous buildings in the World.