2026-09-28 06:21 UTC
My favourite paintings, no.57
Stanley Spencer, Swan Upping at Cookham (no date)
Stanley Spencer painted Cookham a lot (setting biblical scenes there as well as painting everyday life), but this painting is one of the best, offering a narrative (of swan upping, whatever that might be?), as well as a strong sense of pattern & colour. The slightly mysterious subject is part of its charm, and the tension between stillness and movement is just lovely. Something to savour.
#art #TodaysPainting
Replies (2)
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@ccferrie@mastodon.ie 2026-09-28 06:31
@ChrisMayLA6@mastodon.me.uk It's a fascinating painting! This Wikipedia article gives 1915-19 as the date (but also explains what Swan upping is, so please ignore if you'd prefer to retain the sense of mystery) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_upping
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@khleedril@cyberplace.social 2026-09-28 08:51
@ChrisMayLA6@mastodon.me.uk Every town needed a soggy mattress woman.