Sir Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) was one of the leading painters in England between the World Wars. He used an expressively distorted style of drawing and often drew upon Christian subjects. Spencer studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London from 1908 to 1912, and he first exhibited at the New English Art Club. He frequently used his hometown, Cookham, as a setting for his paintings, many of which were based on biblical themes.