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Constable
This new monograph explores the career of John Constable (1776-1837), one of the most important nineteenth-century British artists and the quintessential English landscapist. The painter who pioneered outdoor painting and elevated landscape subjects to masterpieces such as The Hay Wain , Flatford Mill and Dedham Lock – seeing his art as a natural philosophy and each work as a searching experiment – is presented afresh in this approachable yet inquiring new appraisal. In his thorough survey, Jonathan Clarkson offers the reader comprehensive assessment of Constable's from his earliest line drawings to the last masterpieces, including pencil drawings, quick outdoor oil sketches, painstakingly worked studio canvases, and less well-known portraits. Combining biographical detail with a rich historical and cultural context, Clarkson discusses Constable's theories and technique in depth, revealing the revolutionary influence Constable had on painting, from his own time to the present day.
- GenresArt
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 12, 2025
Clarkson crea un piccolo capolavoro: presenta in linguaggio accessibile e intelligente l'evoluzione dell'opera e dello stile di Constable. Ne mette in luce contraddizioni, difficoltà e intuizioni, ci guida alla lettura delle opere principali. È storia dell'arte (del realismo, del naturalismo in pittura), ma si legge come un romanzo.
September 3, 2011
Upon beginning this book I knew nothing about John Constable except that he was English. Admittedly I am very much ignorant of this period of art as well - early 19th century - and mostly works of art of that time don't appeal to me.
However, this book was very enlightening in discussing the artistic culture of 18th and 19th century art, putting Constable's innovations into perspective The author does a wonderful job of telling the story of Constable's life along with the stories behind his most prominent works. I liked that the author's analysis was always unpretentious and candid and he didn't pretend to always clearly understand Constable's intents behind his works. I learned a great deal about an artist who was ahead of his time and went mostly unrecognized for almost a century after he passed away. It's always interesting to me how the artists that eventually become immortal to the world, are in their era the ones who seem to never be recognized and the folks that are praised during their lifetime are usually the ones never remembered. Constable was a man who followed his heart and instinct when it came to creating his art and was innovative in making the connection between his own emotions and the landscape he chose to encapsulate in his works (even though he failed to see this connection himself). He also valued conveying that spirit by exploring his techniques of expression rather than by symbolically proclaiming it through staid and accepted academic standards of his time. An innovator who, like most innovators, never got his due until too late.
However, this book was very enlightening in discussing the artistic culture of 18th and 19th century art, putting Constable's innovations into perspective The author does a wonderful job of telling the story of Constable's life along with the stories behind his most prominent works. I liked that the author's analysis was always unpretentious and candid and he didn't pretend to always clearly understand Constable's intents behind his works. I learned a great deal about an artist who was ahead of his time and went mostly unrecognized for almost a century after he passed away. It's always interesting to me how the artists that eventually become immortal to the world, are in their era the ones who seem to never be recognized and the folks that are praised during their lifetime are usually the ones never remembered. Constable was a man who followed his heart and instinct when it came to creating his art and was innovative in making the connection between his own emotions and the landscape he chose to encapsulate in his works (even though he failed to see this connection himself). He also valued conveying that spirit by exploring his techniques of expression rather than by symbolically proclaiming it through staid and accepted academic standards of his time. An innovator who, like most innovators, never got his due until too late.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews