A lane in the Cotswolds

In 1930, Spencer stayed frequently with Austin Lane Pool, Principal of St John's College, Oxford, and his wife Vera at their various Cotswold homes. In landscapes of this period, Spencer was developing a freer handling of paint. Spencer comments, 'Austin was a born countryman and seemed to have adopted the habits of Michaelmas hirelings by changing houses no less than four times. The family moved like farm labourers piling all their belongings into a wagon and going first from Chedworth to the Mill House at Fosse Bridge, and then onto a small farm at Whittle ... There was another move to Hailing ... with them I revived my love of the country' (see G. Spencer, Memoirs of a painter, London, 1974, p. 70).

Two works from this period, Cotswold Landscape, 1930 (private collection) and A Cotswold Farm, 1930-31 (Tate, London) were exhibited at the Fine Art Society, London, retrospective exhibition, catalogue numbers, 21 and 22.