On the left is Stanley Spencer’s first self-portrait in oil paint, made when he was around 23 years old. He painted it over the course of a year in the front bedroom of his family home. Its dark, rich colours and strong sense of three dimensionality reflect his interest in 16th-century European painting. On the right is Stanley Spencer’s final self-portrait and one of his last paintings. In 1958 he was diagnosed with cancer and died a year later on 14 December 1959. Five months before his death he stayed with friends in Yorkshire where he painted this portrait. Completed in just five days, the painting is remarkable for its meticulous detail and the intensity of Spencer's gaze. Looking between the two paintings celebrates the artist's life, and his life-long commitment to painting. ❤️