Bill Sienkiewicz
American artist
John Constable
English painter (1776-1837)
John Constable was an English landscape painter known for his picturesque scenes of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home. He revolutionized the genre of landscape painting with his emotive and evocative depictions of the natural world. Despite never achieving great financial success during his lifetime, Constable’s work is now highly renowned and valuable in British art.
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About the John Constable
John Constable was an English landscape painter in the Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home – now known as “Constable Country” – which he invested with an intensity of affection. “I should paint my own places best”, he wrote to his friend John Fisher in 1821, “painting is but another word for feeling”.
Constable’s most famous paintings include Wivenhoe Parkand The Hay Wain (1821). Although his paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art, he was never financially successful. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts at the age of 52. His work was embraced in France, where he sold more than in his native England and inspired the Barbizon school.
Frequently Asked Questions
John Constable was an English landscape painter who lived from 1776 to 1837. He is known for his Romantic-style paintings of the Dedham Vale area, the countryside surrounding his home, which he called ,Constable Country,.
John Constable’s most famous paintings include Wivenhoe Park (1816), Dedham Vale (1828), and The Hay Wain (1821), which are now considered some of the most valuable and popular works in British art.
Constable’s paintings revolutionized the landscape genre by investing the natural scenes with an intense emotional and personal connection. As he wrote, ,painting is but another word for feeling,, and his works conveyed a deep affection for the Dedham Vale region.
Despite the enduring popularity and value of his paintings today, John Constable was never financially successful during his lifetime. His works were more widely embraced in France than in his native England, and he was not elected to the Royal Academy of Arts until the age of 52.
Constable’s paintings inspired the Barbizon school of French landscape painters, who were influenced by his naturalistic and emotive depictions of the natural world. His work helped to pave the way for the Impressionist movement that followed.
John Constable’s ,Constable Country, refers to the Dedham Vale region, the area surrounding his home, which he painted extensively and with great affection. This picturesque countryside in Suffolk, England, became closely associated with Constable’s iconic landscape paintings.