That Marvellous Atmosphere @ The Stanley Spencer Gallery

“God, sex, and Cookham.”

Not so much a slogan as a worldview—Sir Stanley Spencer painted all three with the same reverence.

The Stanley Spencer Gallery’s summer exhibition, That Marvellous Atmosphere, narrows in on the ripple effect of his last, great, unfinished work Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta, exploring not only the sheer ambition of the work but also the obsessive, devotional process behind it. A culmination of his life’s work and worldview, the painting reveals Spencer’s artistic method in its rawest, most spiritual form. It’s a painting that was never completed, yet somehow, it says everything.

Stanley Spencer with Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta, exhibited at Holy Trinity Church, Cookham, 1958. Photo Courtesy: Stanley Spencer Gallery.

The Stanley Spencer Gallery is uniquely positioned to tell this story. One of only a handful of institutions worldwide dedicated entirely to a single artist, the gallery offers a rare and intimate lens into Spencer’s world. Located in the heart of Cookham—just forty minutes from central London on the Elizabeth Line—it presents the painter’s work in the exact village that inspired it. And in many cases, still features the very places that he painted. Spencer once said Cookham was “Heaven on Earth” and, in this building—which used to be the very chapel he worshipped in—you can see that he meant that literally.

What sets this gallery apart isn’t just its singular focus, but the heart with which it’s run. It’s a charity, staffed entirely by volunteers, and funded through visitors and donations. The exhibition includes works from their own collection—some of the 100 preparatory works Spencer did for Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta are on display—as well as significant loans, including a majestic Dinner on the Hotel Lawn from Tate and Edward John Gregory, Study for Boulter’s Lock, Sunday Afternoon from the National Museums Liverpool. The passion of the team is unmistakable—some share personal anecdotes passed down from grandparents who remembered Spencer as a local eccentric and genius. Their enthusiasm is infectious, and their depth of knowledge transforms a visit into something reverent and moving. The gallery is as much a place of pilgrimage as it is an exhibition space—and much like Spencer himself, it’s quietly obsessive.

Stanley Spencer, Dinner on the Hotel Lawn, 1956-7. Tate, Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1957.  © Estate of Stanley Spencer. Photo Courtesy: Tate.

Whether he was painting Christ into childhood memories of  his town’s fêtes, or a magnolia tree in bloom, Spencer blurred the lines between divine and domestic. He brought a sacred intensity to ordinary moments—imbuing them with spiritual weight and emotional clarity. His portraits are hyper-realistic, while his imaginative works teeter on distortion (though this is a label he would himself have rejected). He painted real people—Miss Hay with her umbrella, the mop-man, neighbours, and friends—often directly from life, and with an unflinching honesty. His last self portrait, for example, hung upstairs in the exhibition space, shows a man dying from cancer and in full cognisance and resignation to that fact. It’s a reminder of how deeply faith permeated every brushstroke, how his art transforms the mundane into the miraculous.

Detail from Stanley Spencer, Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta (1952-9), private collection, on long term loan to the Stanley Spencer Gallery. Photo Courtesy: Sitwell-Dearden PR.

“Cookham is Spencer,” said one gallery volunteer—and it's true. The gallery, nestled just down the road from Spencer’s childhood home, feels more like a shrine than a museum. There’s even a chance to step further into the artist’s world with guided walking tours through the village, stopping at the very places he immortalized on canvas.

And for an even more immersive experience, this summer die-hard Stanley Spencer fanatics can step into this last work. On Monday, 30th June—Spencer’s birthday—the gallery invites visitors to join a River Trip aboard Alaska, the oldest working pleasure steamer on the Thames. This steam launch will depart from Cookham and includes a short onboard talk from curator Amy Lim. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity to drift along the same waters that inspired Christ Preaching from a Boat, and feel, quite literally, that marvellous atmosphere that Spencer once did.

Edward John Gregory, Study for Boulter’s Lock, Sunday Afternoon (c.1882-97), National Museums Liverpool, Lady Lever Art Gallery. Photo Courtesy: Sitwell-Dearden PR.

That Marvellous Atmosphere runs until Sunday 2 November, offering a rich, heartfelt, and occasionally eccentric look into the final years of one of Britain’s most original painters. Whether you’re here for divine inspiration, Edwardian nostalgia, or the joy of seeing the spiritual potential of a mop, this exhibition delivers.

Stanley Spencer, Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta (1952-9), private collection, on long term loan to the Stanley Spencer Gallery. Photo Courtesy: Sitwell-Dearden PR.

Many thanks to the Stanley Spencer Gallery and Sitwell-Dearden PR on behalf of MADE IN BED.

Many thanks as well to Cliveden House for a wonderful overnight stay—for more details on room rates and experiences at www.clivedenhouse.co.uk.

Mairi Alice Dun

Editor-In-Chief, MADE IN BED