in october 1923, spencer started renting henry lamb's studio in hampstead where he began work on "the resurrection, cookham". in 1925, spencer married hilda carline, a former student at the slade and the sister of the artists richard and sydney carline. the couple first met in 1919 and had originally announced their engagement in 1922 after a carline family painting trip to yugoslavia. spencer repeatedly cancelled, or otherwise postponed, their wedding until 1925. a daughter, shirin, was born in november of that year and a second daughter, unity, in 1930.