Week 7

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13 & 14 JOHN CONSTABLE (1776-1837)

 

The art of John Constable seems to offer the quintessential idea of the English artist. Born the son of a miller, Constable grew up in the countryside of Suffolk and this formed his preferred subject matter throughout his life. His love of the English countryside has led to the frequent comparison of his work with the romantic poets, like William Wordsworth. Although his biggest canvases (his ‘six footers’), intended for Royal Academy exhibitions, were worked up in the studio, Constable painted out of doors and his oil sketches developed a free painterly style, which in turn influenced the studio works. His directness of approach was to be highly influential on the next generation of artists, particularly the French Realists.

 

In recent literature there has been a shift away from thinking of his paintings simply as naturalistic records of nature, and art historians have been reading them as documents of the period in which he worked. It has been suggested that his own social background led him to identify with English landowners and the conservative Tories, and to avoid representing indications of changes in rural life which threatened their life style. According to this view, he was involved – like Wilson, though in a different way – in upholding the social status quo through his art.

 

13 & 14 READINGS

 

The literature on Constable is large, examining his biography and oeuvre in considerable detail, from the earliest study by Leslie who knew him personally to detailed catalogues of different aspects of his art. A number of the more recent books are listed in the general bibliography. The dominant approach tends to be Constable as naturalistic painter; I have selected a few titles here that offer some different readings.

 

Barrell, John. The dark side of the landscape: the rural poor in English                      painting, 1730‑1840. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980.

Bermingham, Ann. Landscape and Ideology: The English Rustic Tradition 1740-1860. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986

 Bermingham, Ann. ‘Reading Constable’ in Pugh, Simon. Reading landscape. Country - city - capital. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1990, 97-120.

Bishop, Peter. An archetypal Constable: national identity and the geography of nostalgia. London: Athlone, 1995.

Rosenthal, Michael. Constable. The Painter and his Landscape. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983.

Slide List Lectures 13 & 14: JOHN CONSTABLE (1778-1837)

1.     cf Wilson  Death of the Children of Niobe. 1759.
2.     cf Gainsborough  Rocky wooded landscape with rustic lovers. 1773.
3.     cf Wright of Derby Dovesdale. 1780-89.
4.     cf Girtin Kirkstall Abbey: Evening. 1800-1.
5. Stour Valley and Dedham Vale 1814-15, Mus. of Fine Art, Boston.
6. Ploughing Scene in Suffolk (Summerland). 1814. Private coll.
7. Self Portrait. 1799. National Portrait Gallery, London.
8. Henry Greswolde Lewis. 1811. Private coll.
9. Old Hall, East Bergholt. 1801. Private coll.
10. Malvern Hall. 1809. Tate Gall, London.
11. Wivenhoe Park. 1816. Nat. Gall, Washington.
12. The Quarters, Alresford Hall. 1816. Nat. Gall. of Victoria, Melbourne.
13. Bowfell and Langdale Pikes. 1806. Private coll.
14. View in Langdale. 1806. Victoria & Albert, London.
15. Map of Constable’s England – Suffolk county.
16. Sketchbook studies. 1814. Victoria & Albert. (11.3 x 8.6 cm)
17. Dedham Vale. 1802. Victoria & Albert.
18.     cf Claude Landscape: Hagar and the Angel. 1644. Nat. Gall, London.
19. Landscape with Goatherd and Goats. 1823? Art Gall. of NSW, Sydney.
20.     cf Claude Landscape with Goatherd and Goats.  Nat. Gall, London.
21. Golding Constable’s House.1811.
22. Golding Constable’s Flower Garden. 1815. Ipswich Art Gall.
23. Golding Constable’s Kitchen Garden. 1815. Ipswich Art Gall.
24. Boatbuilding near Flatford. 1814-15. Victoria & Albert.
25. A Boat passing a Lock. 1824. Sudeley Castle.
26. Flatford Mill. 1817. Tate Gall, London.
27. Dedham Lock and Mill. 1820. V&A.
28. Stour Valley and Dedham Vale 1814-15. Boston. (and sketches)
29. Spring Ploughing. 1814. Victoria & Albert.
30. View of Salisbury Cathedral. 1825. Nat. Gall, Washington.
31. Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds. 1826. Frick Coll, New York.
32. Buildings on a Rising Ground, Hampstead. 1821. Victoria & Albert.
33. View on Hampstead Heath. 1825. Tate Gall, London.
34. Weymouth Bay. 1816. Victoria & Albert. Sketch.V&A.
35. Brighton Beach. 1824. Victoria & Albert.
36. Studies of Clouds. 1820s. Victoria & Albert. 1821. Royal Academy.
37. Boatbuilding near Flatford. 1814-15. Victoria & Albert. (and sketches)
38. Flatford Mill. 1817. Tate Gall, London. (Study for trunk of an elm V&A 1821)
39. Dedham Lock and Mill. 1820. V&A. Sketch 1819 Tate Gall, London.
40. The White Horse. 1819. Frick Coll, New York. (and sketch)
41. Crossing the Ford: Noon (The Hay Wain.) 1821. London. Sketch. 1821. V&A.
42. The Leaping Horse. 1825. Royal Academy, London. Sketch. 1825. V&A.
43. The Cornfield. 1826. Nat. Gall, London. Sketch.
44. Dedham Vale. 1828. Nat. Gall, Edinburgh. (cf 1802 version)
45. Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds. 1826. Frick Coll, New York.
46. Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows. 1831. Priv Coll. Sketch. Guildhall, Lond.
47. Hadleigh Castle. 1829. Yale Center for British Art. Sketch Tate Gall, London.
48. The Cenotaph. 1835. Nat. Gall, London.
49. Cottage at East Bergholt. 1835. Lady Lever Art Gall, Liverpool.