Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
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Chantrey Bequest
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<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/gilbert-spencer-1976" aria-label="More by Gilbert Spencer" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Gilbert Spencer</a>
A Cotswold Farm
Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1932
adults
agricultural
agriculture and fishing
animals: birds
animals: mammals
architecture
barn
cart
chicken
Cotswolds
England
farm
farm labourer
farmer
hill
horse
landscape
man
objects
people
places
saw
seasons
society
tools and machinery
transport: land
UK countries and regions
winter
wood
work and occupations
<p>Despite its title, this is not a picture of a particular farm. Gilbert Spencer had often painted landscapes in the Cotswolds while staying with friends at Andoversford, and he used his memory of these to create an imaginary farm.</p><p>Gilbert spent over a year painting this picture in his London studios. It was bought for the nation by the Chantrey Bequest when it was first exhibited in the following February. It is unusually large, and makes a strong statement about traditional farm labour and its place in the landscape.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
10 November 2003 – 5 July 2004
2004-07-05
10 November 2003
2003-11-10
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2003-11-10
Stanley Spencer
Collection based display
15 June 2005 – 4 September 2005
2005-09-04
15 June 2005 – 4 September 2005
2005-09-04
2005-06-15
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2005-06-15
A Picture of Britain
Exhibition
28 March 2024 – 3 November 2024
2024-11-03
24 March 2024 – 3 November 2024
2024-11-03
2024-03-24
Stanley Spencer Gallery (Cookham, UK)
http://www.cookham.com/about/spencer.htm
2024-03-28
Gilbert and Stanley Spencer
Loan-out
A Cotswold Farm
support: 1410 × 1841 mm

Presented by the Trustees of the <a href="/search?gid=999999977" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Chantrey Bequest</a> 1932
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text12">Despite its title, this is not a picture of a </span><span class="text13">particular farm. Gilbert Spencer had often</span><span class="text0"> </span><span class="text12">painted <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/landscape" title="Glossary definition for 'Landscape'"><span>landscapes</span></a> in the Cotswolds</span><span class="text0"> </span><span class="text13">while staying with friends at      Andoversford</span><span class="text0">, </span><span class="text12">and he      used his memory of these to create an imaginary farm.</span><span class="text0">
<br/> </span>
</div>
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text0">
<br/> </span>
</div>
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text0">Gilbert spent over a year <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> this </span><span class="text12">picture in his London studios. It was</span><span class="text0"> bought for the nation by the Chantrey </span><span class="text13">Bequest      when it was first exhibited in</span><span class="text0">  the      following February. It is unusually large, and makes a strong statement      about traditional farm labour and its  place in the landscape. </span>
</div>

Display caption
2004-09-09T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N04670</b> A COTSWOLD FARM 1930–1</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘G. Spencer’ b.r.
<br/>Canvas, 55 1/2×72 1/2 (141×184).
<br/>Chantrey Purchase from the artist through the Goupil Gallery 1932.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> Goupil Gallery, February 1932 (59); R.A., 1932 (603); Reading, June–July 1964 (35).
<br/><i>Lit:</i> John Rothenstein, <i>Modern English Painters: Lewis to Moore</i>, 1956, pp.230–1, repr. pl.21.
<br/><i>Repr:</i> <i>Studio</i>, CIII, 1932, p.41 (in colour); <i>Royal Academy Illustrated</i>, 1932, p.112.</p>
<p>The artist wrote (20 April 1958) that this picture was begun at his house in Hampstead in about March 1930 and was completed by April 1931 in Ladbroke Grove, where he had moved after his marriage. ‘The picture was entirely imaginary and no studies or <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> were made from nature for it. This would explain a number of things in it that are not Cotswold in character. I have often used agricultural settings, mostly secondary in which to place my designs. In this one, as the result of my many visits to the Cotswolds [Andoversford] to stay with Austin and Vera Lane Poole (the Principal of St John's, Oxford) and my experiences from <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/landscape" title="Glossary definition for 'Landscape'"><span>landscapes</span></a> there, I decided to use the colour and stone of the Cotswolds for this picture. There is a squared-up drawing in wash for this picture which is as dark as the picture is light and which belongs to Mrs Julian Vinogradoff.’ This drawing, 22×30 in., agrees in practically every detail with the final oil. It is in sepia wash and <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/g/graphite" title="Glossary definition for 'Graphite'"><span>pencil</span></a>, and is thus fairly sombre in <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/tone" title="Glossary definition for 'Tone'"><span>tone</span></a>.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-06T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
adults agricultural agriculture and fishing animals: birds animals: mammals architecture barn cart chicken Cotswolds England farm farmer farm labourer hill horse landscape man objects people places saw seasons society tools and machinery transport: land UK countries and regions winter wood work and occupations