Prints

Whilst the paintings of Stanley Spencer are still subject to copyright protection, there are some outlets who have acquired the necessary permissions to produce prints of his work.

The Stanley Spencer Foundation proudly own and promote this artist's work to an audience that continues to appreciate his unique approach to art. There is also a gallery in his native Cookham which offers reproduction prints of various paintings from his career, as well as lots of catalogues from past exhibitions and also several other publications based on different elements of his life and career. They would always be the best place to start for those looking to learn more about this artist's achievements and the gallery itself makes an excellent day out, even for those unfamiliar with his work. Cookham is based in Berkshire, not too far from London for those unaware of the geography of the south of England.

The artist's career was varied in terms of artistic genres - meaning there is something to suit all tastes with regards choosing an art print reproduction. We remember the many landscape paintings, in a style which charms similarly to the later work of David Hockney. Both capture the beauty of the English countryside, albeit in opposing parts of the country. Spencer's portraits have a combination of Hockney and Lucian Freud within them with expressive, bright and modern colour schemes. Spencer, of course, was not following, but leading in many ways yet his reputation did not quite reach the same level as theirs. He was a passionate artist, which suited his work in portraiture. He also liked to focus on people who were important to him, including friends and family, which would have fuelled his emotions and made it easier to tell more of a story within these works, because of his familiarity with the subjects.

It is the countryside scenes which attact many to his career. They are also amongst the most reproduced of all his paintings, too. There is a great accessibility of landscape art to the general public, where one can enjoy the aesthetic beauty of paintings such as Cookham, Bellrope Meadow, Cookham, Berkshire and The Bridle Path, Cookham, but without having to understand a long backstory prior to viewing each piece. The same connection exists with other landscape painters and it is perhaps for this reason that this genre remains so popular. In contrast, other artists have used symbolic messages within their work or abstract forms which are not entirely identifiable at first. These would appeal more to the better researched and knowledgeable follower of art, although even then they might prefer the immediate beauty of a Spencer landscape print for their own home. The artist actually took on most major genres within his career, so there is plenty to suit most tastes, particularly for those sold on his Neo-Romanticist approach.

Once you have chosen your preferred painting from the artist's career, you will now need to decide how to customise it. Much will depend on your personal taste, as well as the way in which the print reproduction will eventually be hung. A small, simple frame will best suit his expressive style, whilst also protecting the artwork itself. You might select one in a colour that does not take too much attention away from the painting itself, with normally a black wooden frame being the best option. Additionally, you might add a small gap in between frame and painting in order to allow the artwork to "breathe". This would normally done with a simple card, probably in the same colour as the background of the piece, in order to blend smoothly. These are generally available from most leading retailers, though always bare in mind shipping costs when extending your print outwards, or adding extra weight to it.

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