John Constable RA – A Romantic Landscape Painter

During his lifetime, John Constable RA was known for his landscape paintings. He revolutionized the field of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedham. He is an English painter who worked in the Romantic tradition.

John Constable

Early life

During his early life, John Constable was largely self-taught. He was influenced by such artists as Peter Paul Rubens and Claude Lorrain. His work was also influenced by the Barbizon School, which sought to establish Realism in French landscape painting. During this period, his works displayed accurate description and precision of touch.

When he was young, John Constable spent time sketching in the countryside around his home. He later studied the paintings of Thomas Gainsborough, Annibale Carracci, and Peter Paul Rubens. He also visited the Lake District and Peak District. His sketches were used to create the basis for his larger exhibition paintings.

He had a strong interest in landscape painting and in the early years of his career he worked as a draftsman in the family business. His father, Golding, owned a com-merchant business and farmed 93 acres of land in East Bergholt. He built a large mansion called East Bergholt House.

He and his family lived in the house for all of his childhood. His parents advised him against marriage until he could support a family financially. After he finished his apprenticeship, he decided to become an artist. His first painting allowed him to become an associate of the Royal Academy. He continued to show paintings at the Royal Academy and other venues. He also gave public lectures on landscape painting.

He and his wife, Maria, were married in 1816. He had seven children with her. His mother, Ann Constable, hoped that her son would become a successful portraitist. She thought of her family as a gentry. However, she had no social skills. She used her connections to help her son’s early career.

John Constable was a member of the Barbizon School, which sought to introduce Realism to French landscape painting. His works were exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1824. The Hay Wain was one of his most famous works. It depicts the River Stour. The painting sold for 200 guineas in 1821.

John Constable died in Bloomsbury, London, in 1837. He was buried next to his wife.

Constable’s work influenced French Romantic movement. He was a member of the Royal Academy, and his paintings gained recognition during the late 1800s.

Study at the Royal Academy Schools

Having studied the art of Peter Paul Rubens and Jacob van Ruisdael, John Constable was inspired to paint landscapes in a new way. This was the beginning of a revolution in the way that he represented the natural world. He shaped the popular image of the English countryside.

In 1799, he entered the Royal Academy Schools in London. Although his father had initially encouraged him to enter his family business, he eventually persuaded him to take up art as a profession. He also visited Claude Lorrain, Annibale Carracci, and Thomas Gainsborough to get ideas for his paintings.

In 1802 he showed his first landscapes at the Royal Academy. He also began to lecture on landscape painting. He visited various locations in the south of England and sketched from nature. His oil sketches from the early 1820s record his fascination with Brighton.

By 1814 he had begun to paint easel pictures in open air. He also produced drawings of ships in the tradition of the Thames Estuary school. He paid for the engraving of many of his paintings. In 1818, he published The Climate of London.

Constable also wrote about his interest in the natural history of the sky. He believed that the sky is one of the most important aids to a landscape painter. He considered that a good landscape painter should pay close attention to the changing patterns of the clouds. His painting Stonehenge shows a stunning double rainbow.

He also painted a memorial to Sir Joshua Reynolds. This painting is part untamed pastoral, part stage-managed symbolism. It was hung at the Grand Palais in 2003.

By 1824, he had taken lodgings in Brighton. He continued to visit the south of England. He also made a number of sketches of the Lake District. He bought a house in Well Walk near Hampstead in 1827. He later acquired a studio opposite the family home. He was buried next to his wife Maria.

Constable’s works have influenced many French impressionists of the late nineteenth century. He was also an influential figure in the Barbizon School. He was elected a full Royal Academician in 1829.

Landscape paintings

During the 18th century, John Constable’s landscape paintings were revolutionary. They changed the genre of landscape painting and introduced novel techniques and colors to the art world. In addition to changing the way that we see the English countryside, Constable’s works were important to Romanticism as a whole.

The technique of using oil paint to create a painting from start to finish was not a new idea, but John Constable’s unique style of representation was. His work demonstrates his commitment to close observation of nature, and his determination to convey the truth. He was also a pioneer of realistic depictions of the natural world.

The first major painting that Constable created was when he was 26 years old. He painted the Hay Wain from the River Stour. This painting is one of his most famous and well-known works. It demonstrates his ability to capture the immediacy of cumulus showers. He used a technique of breaking down his brushstrokes to achieve the effect.

Another important invention of Constable’s was his use of the full-size preparatory oil sketch to balance colour and light in his paintings. He believed that contrast of dark and light was a key aspect of landscape painting. He was particularly interested in the ways that light and shadow could be manipulated to portray the fleeting effects of movement.

He developed his own unique style of representation, one which showcased the glory of nature. He painted scenes in rich, complex colors. He also made many open-air sketches of the landscapes he saw. He exhibited his works at the Royal Academy in 1802 and 1807. But his exhibitions did not attract much attention from the public. He failed to find sufficient buyers for his landscapes. He turned to portraiture to supplement his income.

Although his landscape paintings are not widely recognized today, they have influenced other landscape painters. His large sketches have been viewed as a precursor to the Impressionists thirty years later. His oil sketches show his experimental approach to painting. His technique is evident in his large paintings.

His earliest works reveal the compositional influence of the ancient masters. He was the first artist to develop an effective method of depicting atmospheric effects. He was also the first to demonstrate the power of using the brush to portray the fall of light.

Portraits

During his lifetime, John Constable painted over one hundred portraits. He was a British landscape painter and a member of the Royal Academy. He also taught at the Royal Institution. His portraits were characterized by great sensitivity. He was considered to be a mirror of nature.

A number of his paintings are also included in major collections. These works are a reflection of Constable’s desire to paint what he saw. They are very realistic and refreshingly honest. They show the real personality of the sitter.

The style of Constable’s early paintings demonstrates the compositional influence of the old masters. However, his painting was later influenced by the Barbizon School, which was founded by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. This group of artists worked to establish Realism in French landscape painting. They later influenced Impressionist painters.

John Constable was born in East Bergholt, Suffolk. His father was a successful agricultural businessman. He and his wife Maria moved to Brighton in 1824 to enjoy the fresh air. They stayed there for four years. They returned to London in the winter. They also visited Salisbury and Arundel. They made occasional trips to other parts of the south of England.

In the summers, Constable spent time at East Bergholt, where he sketched from nature. He also visited the Lake District. His sketches, which were not as detailed as his canvases, captured the change in the elements of the countryside. His overall goal remained the same, whether the image was displayed on a canvas or a sketch.

His style, which was largely self-taught, showed an increasing interest in oil medium by 1810. His works from this period display his innovative touch. He was a pioneer in the use of broken brushstrokes that created glistening light. He also used distinctive flecks of white paint on water in the foreground. This technique became the hallmark of his artistic style.

During his lifetime, his works were not very popular. He struggled to find buyers for his landscapes. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1802, but failed to attract the attention of the public. He later exhibited three paintings at the 1824 Paris Salon.