Nathaniel Spens Family Heritage

by Louise Brown

In process, updated February 9, 2003

Nathaniel Spens, born 21 June 1838 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of James Spens, coperplate printer, was apprenticed in 1852 for a full seven years in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, to become an interior decorator, painter and glazier. Nathaniel was "bound out" or apprenticed to William Jackson, Printer and Glazier. Papers were signed on March 29, 1852 and on June 18, 1852, just prior his 14th birthday and only a year after his mother's death, Nathaniel was apprenticed to Mr. William Jackson. For seven years Nathaniel served as he learned the painting trade at 4 Newgate Street, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Mr. Williams lived at 2 St. Mary's Place.  The Indenture papers read as follows:

Signature of Nathaniel, James and William

From the apprenticeship agreement, Nathaniel's wages can be seen to increase with his skill. Beginning with "the sum of two shillings and six pence per week for the first and second years," then progressing to three shillings and six pence per week for the third and fourth years, five shillings per week for the fifth year, and finally, six shillings per week for the sixth and seventh years. The money was not for shelter or meals as the apprenticeship paper clearly shows James Spens responsible for food and lodging.

Nathaniel learned the carpenter trade, hung wall-paper, painted, did wood-graining and wood-carving and he learned well. He knew how to mix colors and paints to a smooth lasting finish and was even able to make his own paint. Using woodgraining combs he had transported from England, Nathaniel did some of the woodgraining in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and in the Salt Lake Temple. Tradition reports that Nathaniel painted some of the Garden Room in the Logan Temple and also did some work in the Manti Temple. Nathaniel spent the last twenty-six years of his life near Mount Pleasant, Utah where he taught his sons the trade which his son and namesake, Nathaniel, later inherited. The Spens woodgraining work can still be seen in the old homes in and around Mount Pleasant. His work can be seen on the doors, for example, in a home on Main Street (owned by the Dykes in 1996). He taught his sons the trade, and graining by Tom and Than (Nathaniel) can be found in homes of descendants in Utah and in Burlington, Wyoming.

Painting was not only Nathaniel's career but also his pastime and hobby judging from numerous paintings found and told of, none of which was he known to have sold. Many of the paintings have been circulated by family members, each generation awaiting their opportunity to care for the paintings. A few of these paintings can be seen in the Springville Art Museum and in the Brigham Young University Museum of Art. The Spens Family Heritage Organization is preparing to donate paintings to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum in Salt Lake City, the LDS Church History Museum in Salt Lake City and the Fairview Museum in Sanpete County.

Seemingly few exhibitions have included Nathaniel Spens's artwork. In the 1873 Territorial Fair, Nathaniel Spens exhibited nineteen specimens of graining and marbeling, "all done well" according to the Salt Lake Daily Herald, Oct. 6, 1873.

Again, in the Salt Lake Daily Herald, on July 18, 1877, Nathaniel Spens is mentioned as a painter:

The 1880 Census showed both Nathaniel Spens and his neighbor, John T. Matthews, also a painter, unemployed for six months of the Census year. Nathaniel may have had more time to paint, being unemployed, but certainly there is documentation that Nathaniel was already an established painter.

The Salt Lake Evening Chronicle ran an article on September 25, 1883 entitled the Salt Lake Easel:

On the following day, the Salt Lake Herald further noted:

This painting, "The Launching of the Life Boat" or "The Rescue," was damaged, perhaps in the move to Mount Pleasant and later patched, most likely by one of his sons. Some years later it found its way to Wyoming with one of his children. In 1997 it was restored by family members at a cost of $500 and mounted on an aluminum panel.  It is 13.5" x 26.5" and is an oil on canvas, signed "N Spens" and dated June 1879. 

Some of his works were exhibited at the Salt Lake Art Exhibit of Early Pioneer Art in October, 1948. This event was announced with the following printed invitations:

The Officers and Board of the Salt Lake Art Center

cordially invite you to attend

A Gala Preview of the exhibition

"100 Years of Utah Painting"

sponsored by the Salt Lake Tribune

from seven until ten o'clock

Salt Lake Art Center

54 Finch Lane Salt Lake City, Utah

Informal

Like other early self-taught artists, many of Nathaniel's paintings were copies of calendar and magazine pictures. He painted several works of ships and landscapes, a painting of a church in England and one of a complex of buildings thought to be in Germany; however, most often he painted people in daily life events and life struggles. Examples of simple family events depicted in his works are the family gathered around "The Sick Cow," parting with loved ones in "A Highlander Bids His Mother Farewell," the sea rescue depicted in "The Battle of Trafalga," a time for love in "Jacque and Jenny Making Hay" (two young people in the hayfield), a time for work in an unnamed painting of a young couple drawing water for a cow, and a time to play in "The Card Player" and "Playing Marbles." His cartoonish paintings and copies show him to be a man of subtle humor and understanding as can be seen in "The Deacon's Experience" in family prayer and in "The Proposal." In addition to the above, Nathaniel painted some portraits. He completed three self-portraits with the aid of a mirror, one as a younger man and two much later. His last self-portrait, painted between 1911 and 1916, hangs in the Springville Art Museum.

Nathaniel painted other portraits. One, a portrait of his wife, Mary Campbell was donated by Vesta Rasmussen to the Springville Art Museum in 1995. The museum funded the restoration of this painting with the help of the Spens Family Heritage Organization. More recently this portrait was traded to the Spens Family Heritage Organization for a painting, "The Stone Bridge" and will be donated to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.  Another portrait was of his father-in-law, Thomas Campbell (present location of this painting is not known). A third portrait was of Christiana Spens, Nathaniel's daughter-in-law (present location not known).

According to Nathaniel's grandson, Percy Brown, "Grandpa's paintings were smooth, not lumpy like John Heber Stanfield's who asked Grandpa to teach him how to paint." John was born in Mount Pleasant (May 11, 1878) and painted more than 1500 pieces before his death (Dec 25, 1953). "Grandpa let him see his work. It seems that when John saw one of Grandpa's paintings, he said he could paint that well! So Grandpa put his work away saying he couldn't teach him anything."

The majority of Nathaniel Spens's paintings are in the homes of his descendants, just as he wished. Family members have recounted that when offered a thousand dollars for the paintings in his home, Nathaniel refused, stating the paintings were for his family. "They are not for sale!"

The value of Nathaniel's paintings to his descendants was so great that some went to great lengths to get the paintings. Mrs. James (Christiana) Spens and family returned home from her husband's burial in Mount Pleasant to find that all the paintings had been removed--about 30 of them! After much pleading with those relatives that attended only the funeral in Mammouth, a single painting was returned. Other families tell similar stories of how, unbeknownst to them, the pictures disappeared. Several descendants tell of having been promised a painting only to have it disappear.

There are a few exceptions to the high value of Nathaniel's paintings. Aunt Eva (Nat's second wife) appears to not have appreciated her father-in-law's paintings very much--she insisted they be relegated to the coal shed! It is said that she liked her husband's paintings better, and that he painted several portraits. Other in-laws have had similar feelings--the big old, yellowing paintings did not fit the changing decor of family homes.

While many of the hard feelings have softened over the years, there is still some despair and animosity over Great Grandfather's paintings. The fact that many of the paintings, even when aging and in disrepair, were taken to the attic or a stored in a shed seems to indicate strongly that these paintings held powerful ties to the past--Nathaniel's direct descendants would not (or could not) bring themselves to throw away, give away or sell a painting.