Olivia Spencer Bower

A youthful Olivia Spencer Bower made this lyrical ink and wash study of Rome in 1931 during five months of travel and sketching in Italy following her studies at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Travelling with fellow Ōtautahi Christchurch artist Mary Hogg, she painted in Capri, Rome and Assisi before staying with relatives in Florence. From almond blossom in the foreground and washing lines in the courtyards below to the distant St Peter’s dome, this painting is filled with warmth, encompassing both the monumental and the everyday. Her Italian journey unfolded during a period when Italy’s public life was increasingly shaped by Fascism. In Florence, Spencer Bower stayed with her cousin Aubrey Waterfield and his wife, journalist Una Dugdale Gordon, who were critical of Mussolini’s regime. When Spencer Bower left Italy, she carried letters across the border on their behalf.

(Timeless: Treasures from the Historical Collection 19 September 2026 – 30 May 2027)