Spencer, Stanley Sir RA
Shipbuilding on the Clyde: Welders
1941
painting
© crown

This work was intended as a complementary piece to 'Burners' and was painted between November 1940 and February 1941. Welding was a relatively new invention in the Second World War, and had superceded riveting as it was quicker and more effective. The welder would bond the plates together in prefabricated sections before they went down to the building berth. In the left panel, second from left, Spencer has drawn a self-portrait. This shows that he saw himself, not as a detched observer, but integral to the war effort. related drawings: LD 1626, LD 1627, LD 1630, LD 6008 3 (verso), LD 6008 44, LD 6008 62, LD 6008 65, LD 6008 69, LD 6008 71 (verso), LD 6008 78 (verso), LD 6008 100, LD 6008 102, LD 6008 112

image: Left panel. From left to right; man lying on his side using an arc welder on a round object and holding his mask in front of his face; self portrait of Stanley Spencer watching a welder through the mask he holds away from himself; three more welders at work Centre panel showing men carrying heavy angled metal plates; arc welders at work in the individual box sections of a ship's double bottom; possibly a self portrait of Spencer as the welder in the centre front Right panel. Arc welders at work in various positions; two young boys toast a piece of bread over a brazier

IWM Reference: IWM ART LD 924-6

Artist's Biographical Information