“Sorting the Laundry” is an artwork by Stanley Spencer, created between the years 1927 and 1932, and belongs to the Neo-Romanticism art movement. This genre painting is part of the Sandham Memorial Chapel series. The artwork depicts a scene of individuals engaged in the domestic activity of sorting laundry.
In the artwork, several figures are depicted in a room filled with laundry. The composition captures the everyday life of the individuals, focusing on their tasks. Piles of white sheets dominate the background, creating a striking contrast with the darker clothing and baskets held by the figures. At the center and left of the scene, two men are actively sorting and handling the laundry. One man, shirtless, appears to be in the act of placing laundry into a large brown basket, while another man, clothed, lifts white sheets overhead. To the right, a figure with a towel draped over their head bends forward, engaged in their task, as another individual sits and works at a small table. The overall scene is infused with a sense of order and routine, characteristic of Spencer’s attention to the minutiae of daily life.
