TWO STANLEY SPENCER LETTERSFROM SALONIKA

D. P. WALEY

T H E most memorable experience which twentieth-century British painting can provideis a visit to Stanley Spencer's masterpiece, the Sandham Memorial Chapel at Burghclere,Hampshire. An inscription in the chapel explains that the paintings 'are the fulfilmentof a design which he conceived whilst on active service' and these scenes of Spencer'swartime life, painted a decade after the end of the First World War, could well be usedto illustrate the phrase 'emotion recollected in tranquillity'. This is particularly true ofthe Salonika panels portraying life in camp and the trenches, of 'Map reading' and theextraordinary painting on the end wall, 'Resurrection of the Soldiers'.

The recipients of the two letters^ published here were Jacques and his wife GwenRaverat, both painters who had known Spencer ('Cookham', as he was known to all hisfriends, from his much-loved place of origin) since his days at the Slade School. TheRaverats sent on copies of the letters to Gwen's cousin Frances Cornford and these copiesprovide the text printed below. Few of Spencer's letters from his period of service at theSalonika front have been published (a few written to his sister, Mrs. Image, are quotedin Maurice Collis's biography),^ but a project is now in hand for an edition of Spencer'sletters under the editorship of Mr. Richard Carline.

The letters require few explanatory notes, but it may be worth adding that the hymnmisquoted here is not by William Cowper but by Reginald Heber and that the lines inquestion run:

From Greenland's icy mountainsFrom India's coral strand.

'Chute' is Desmond Chute who befriended Spencer during his Royal Army MedicalCorps service at the Beauford War Hospital, Bristol, and with whom he remained onfriendly terms after the war. 'GiV is Spencer's younger brother, Gilbert (born 1893).'Patacakes' and 'Nice' (not 'niece'!) biscuits are both sugary, sweet biscuits.

T H E L E T T E R S

The weather is simply wonderful here. We only had a little snow in February and there werehot days then and from March until now it has been practically all sunshine. Great storm cloudsare nearly always on the mountains, but they seem to hang there all day and cast great shadowsfrom the side of the mountain, and where there is one big flat cloud which puts the whole rangein shadow it is like a cave. But oh, I long for the sea. I feel when I am inland a good way as if

167

I cannot breathe. This feeling I have had since my journey out here. I would just like to be oneof those little boys who do all sorts of odd jobs. I loved it when the ship suddenly stops or thesiren goes deep and long, and the flag flaps about the masts. The whole world seems to be 'heldup\ The words in Cowper's hymn 'on Africks Coral strand' have always given Gil and I a very'foreign feeling' - and Africa is - Oh I dont know what it is, but it moves me. I could live for everleaning over the side of the ship and looking down to its shores.

I like the photograph very much. I should like to hear from you again Jacques. Love to youboth from Cookham.

Desmond Chute read me from the Greek six books of Homer's Oddysey, and I forget how muchof the Iliad. He also read some of the grandest parts in Greek to give me an idea of what it soundedlike, and it sounded like the sea.

Sunday May 13, IQ17Salonica Forces.

('not dated. April or May 1917. Salonica.')''Dear Jaques and Gwen. I could not have vi ished for any book nearer to my thoughts than

a book of Claude. I saw the book at a Mrs. Daniells of Clifton and I have had times of longingto see that book again. I think that Claude is the medecine that I most need. I believe that whenI get paints I shall do some landscapes.

Gil when he is vfith me and since I have been in the army looks at me in such a vv'orried wayas he looks at a burden, and I am sure there is no need as I am quite happy. And although I amnot actually putting things on canvas or paper, I am still 'making, praising and giving thanks'more than ever I was before. Everything I do for anyone is as ointment poured forth and it isan exercise creating joy, which is eternal; and it is the army has caused me to learn that by beinghappy in the present state I am satisfied. But what is wonderful is that hy praying for the powerto love purely or absolutely you get that power. I feel ashamed of what I would do when I firstcame out here, compared with what I would do now. The army ought to make any man an artist,because it ought to give any man these feelings which I have just expressed and which are essentialto an artist. But I do wish I had my paints out here. The pearly sky at sunrise (in winter) tbedeep blue sea, and the shadows of big ships along the surface, and the bronze hills beyond. Theregular ridges of foam all gleaming in the sun like a Claude. Before I got your book of ClaudeI said in a letter to Chute how this Gulf of Salonique reminded me of Claude and that was onlya fortnight ago. It reminds me of 'The Jew of Malta'. Do you remember how he could see theships, his ships, coming into the bay, coming in, and going out from the window of his room.I would love to have Marlowe's plays. Edward II is great and Tamburlane; oh yes I should liketo read them all over again.

Could you send me some sweet biscuits Patacakes or niece biscuits but not ginger nuts or gingerof any kind. That Claude book is an extraordinary comfort out here.

Love from Cookham.

I British Library, Add. MS. 58399 (not yet foliated). 2 M. Collis, Stanley Spencer (London, 1962),The letters are among the Darwin and Cornford pp. 52-62.Papers presented in 1973 by the children of Pro- 3 Ibid., pp. 49-50, 67-8.fessor and Mrs. F. M. Cornford. I am grateful to 4 This note concerning the date is written on theMiss Unity Spencer for granting permission to letter. The letters were sent in an envelope markedpublish the letters and to Mr. Richard Carline for 'Letters from Cookham'.encouraging me to proceed to publication.

168