John Constable was a prolific artist that mastered the art of making landscapes. The Hay Wain artist was blessed with exceptional artistic style and an artistic caliber who knew as many insights on colors as anyone could.
He was a significant figure in English landscape painting during the 19th century. Many say that painter John Constable changed the landscape of depicting paintings in growing Europe at that time. His paintings were a flame of change that contrasted the development of man and his surroundings.
Apart from having such outstanding achievements in his destiny, there was something that even the master could not control. His life was not colorful as his landscapes were, and there was something beyond tragic that Constable artist had to face in his life. Learn about John Constable in the segment below and get to know the unknown about him.
Legacy
Unlike other artists, Constable artist did not opt for traditional landscapes but always chose subjects that were close to him in one or the other. So while some were just his imagination complete with nature, others cast family connections.
The fleeting and dramatic skies, atmospheric moments, clouds in motion, wind blowing, and everything surreal could be felt in his portraiture. In addition, you can see the rural realities of Britain undergoing a bewildering socio-economic transformation through his paintings.
Artworks done by him are kept in different art galleries, royal academies, and museums in different corners of the world. His iconic paintings, such as the Hay Wain, are still considered a benchmark and often elaborated with pride in front of young art enthusiasts.
Such was a legacy that the master left behind. Charles Robert Leslie, after Constable’s death, wrote the Memoirs of the Life of John Constable to keep his great works alive in history. It consists of deep insights and creative information about painter John Constable work, style, and techniques.
The Artist John Constable
John Constable was a rebellious artist and always put something different from the art culture on a plate. He used a combination of his imagination and nature to drive out its beauty on the canvas. He painted so many full-scale preliminary sketches of his landscapes.
This was done to test the composition in advance of finished pictures and gain a sense of perspective perfection. His large sketches, free-spirited brushwork, and bold color choices intrigued many scholars, artists, and the general public to admire his talents. He took landscape painting in an altogether new direction because his paintings expressed much more than words ever could.
Much of his art comes through oil paints; however, Constable was also a fan of watercolors. As a result, his watercolor paintings are equally remarkable as his oil paintings are. Whenever in doubt, you can anytime take a look at Stonehenge. It’s considered one of the most extravagant canvases painted with watercolors.
His landscapes were not just reflections of nature. The scientific understanding of atmospheric conditions profoundly influenced them. The power of his physical effects was more prompt and visible without any movement happening. These paintings were the first ever done through oil paints. The subject is in the open air, except for the oil sketches similar to Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, made in Rome around 1780.
The Six Footers
Apart from being so rich in talent, John lacked the privilege of earning hefty amounts through his paintings. Nevertheless, he managed to gain a scrape income from his artworks. In 1818, Constable artist sold his first important canvas, The White Horse.
The White Horse – John Constable
It was amongst his most influential paintings, sold to his friend John Fisher at a substantial price of 100 Guinea. With this came an experience of financial freedom for John Constable, which went missing from his life for quite a time then. He sold the exclusive White House in times of need, but destiny turned it magical for him.
It was a turning point in his life as its success was seen by the Royal Academy, which led to a series of six monumental landscapes. These depicted the narratives on the River Stour named “ Six Footers.” The title was explicitly given to these canvases because of their size.
They are the most forceful and the knottiest landscapes ever produced in the history of 19th century Europe. The series comprises 1820, Stratford Mill, 1821 Hay Wain, 1822 View on the Stour near Dedham, 1824 The Lock, and 1825 The Leaping Horse.
Letters From John Constable
The letters written by John Constable during the 1820s to 1830s speak of alienation, depression, and instability. His success was soaring heights, but it could not be relished much by him as his wife started to get ill.
She was suffering from tuberculosis which meant Constable took him to Brighton from 1825-to 1828. Constable had seven children, but not all were blessed with excellent health. He faced the loss of his wife on 23 November, and she died young at the age of 41 in Hampstead.
She left seven children John Charles, Maria Louisa, Charles Golding, Isobel, Emma, Alfred, and Lionel. Out of the seven children, only Charles Golding Constable was able to create a family of his own.
The Bottom Line
John Constable was a legendary artist, and so were his avant-garde paintings. Drawings of Constable artists are an epitome of grace, excellence, and a rare to find art. You can always find his artworks online and purchase its oil reproductions to embrace their sheer beauty.