Lady M went to Lewes recently to see an exhibition, which included works by Patricia Preece.
Most of us will know of Preece as the second wife of Stanley Spencer. She was his 'muse', and he painted several pictures of her (one below). They married in 1937.
As with many members of the Bloomsbury Group, her love-life was complicated. Preece was what used to be called 'a shirt and tie job'; but what we would now call a member of the LGBTQ community.
After her marriage to Spencer, Preece and her lover Dorothy Hepworth went on 'honeymoon' together, to St Ives, whist Spencer himself stayed at home; bizarre. During their time away, Spencer's first wife, Hilda Carline, visited him, and he attempted to establish a three way marriage. When Preece returned home she learned of his infidelity, and refused to have anything more to do with him; other than to fleece him of all his money. Just another everyday story of life amongst Bloomsbury folk.
I have always known about the family's strange arrangements, but what I didn't know was that most of the paintings attributed to Preece were in fact painted by Hepworth, onto which Preece would put her signature.
This photo (above) shows Dorothy Hepworth with Patricia Preece and Stanley Spencer on their wedding day; Preece in an Ascot style hat, and Spencer with what looks like a sodden dish-cloth on his head. I also note that he didn't bother to polish his shoes for the wedding.
A strange bunch.
18 comments:
Preece was a nasty piece of work and Spencer an old fool.
She certainly was. She robbed him of everything, and he encouraged her to do it.
Those were the days my friend...I've been reading about the Bloomsbury crowd recently. So many happenings. Biographies from those times are fascinating.
A highly talented bunch too. A friend of ours looked after Duncan Grant during his final years.
Preece was very much on the fringe of the Bloomsbury set. In all the books I have read of them I have never seen Preece mentioned. I know she froze when commissioned by Woolf to do a painting when, of course, she couldn't do it. What a total fraud she was and how weak Hepworth must have been. I note she was present at the drowning of WS Gilbert. She probably murdered him.
Well that's artists for you! Artists are all a bit weird. Why, some of them even have anchovies on toast for breakfast!
Nonsense. Artists would never do that.
A strange bunch would be putting it mildly. The wedding photo is a hoot and Spencer certainly looks out of place. Hepworth looks like a real battleaxe - if looks could kill!
These days no one would give second thought to their bizarre "arrangements"!
The only things that come clean are Spencer's amazing paintings, and a few of Hepworth's.
He has a look of Michael Gove
I'll tell Michael you said that!
At a time in history when many LGBTQ individuals married a person of the opposite gender, to quiet societies expectations, a pattern that continues today in many parts of society. Sometimes the spouse knows what they are getting into, sometimes they don't. Strange bedfellows as my grandmother would say.
I'm sure that still goes on. Surely Spencer must have known her preferences before he married her!
A Woody Allen .
Strange bedfellows. Each must have found something appealing. The obvious common link is art.
I see what you mean!
Live and let live; I'm sure they all enjoyed themselves.
The exhibition was held at the Charleston Gallery in Lewes, so they must see her as a periphery member of the group. Personally I would have included her in 'The Cookham Group'.
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