John Constable Biography and Works

John Constable was an eminent English artist. He was born on 11th June 1776 in a family of rich corn merchant living in Suffolk. He completed his schooling at Debham Grammar school. John Constable was very much inclined towards art from very early age so after schooling his father admitted him to Royal Academy in London to pursue a course in arts. This was the turning point in his life.

John Constable was famous for his landscape paintings. He believed that he should paint his surroundings best so he painted Debham Vale, the area near his house, which is now known as ‘Constable Country’. He painted that landscape of Debham Vale so nicely that it had became one of his finest work in 1820. His famous painting is Hay Wain in 1821. John Constable success eluded him even after his successful paintings. He was not able to sold more then 20 paintings in his lifetime due to which he never achieved financial success. But after the death of his father in 1816 Constable got the money he left for him and then he married with Maria Bicknell. Their married life was very happy but after Maria’s death in 1828 he was very depressed.

John Constable was a truly natural artist. He was against the idea of composing any picture by an artist rather then using the natural beauty. He loves to paint nature and this is the reason that he becomes the most popular landscape painter. John Constable always paints the sketches of the landscape first before giving them finishing touch. This allows him to see the composition well in advance. While painting he use brush very freely and vigorously and this was the best feature of his works that people of all status liked. The Leaping Horse and The Hay Wain both were oil sketches that transformed him into an avan-grade painter. John Constable gives a new direction to landscape painting.

One of his painting Stonehenge, 1835 was one of the Constable’s finest watercolous ever painted. He also done many studies on the observation of atmospheric conditions due to which he became more scientific in his paintings with good understanding of atmosphere. One of his painting The Chain Pier, 1827 exhibited his this ability that induced one critic to say, “ The atmospheric conditions in the painting is looking so humid that need for an umbrella is actually felt”. Sometimes Constable write notes also on the back of the paintings about the weather conditions, time of day, direction of clouds and light etc. He was influenced by the meteorologist Luke Howard and became an expert in meteorological terminology. According to him sky is an important factor that determine the beauty of a landscape painting. John Constable’s work like Salisbury Cathedral, 1831 and Cottage of East Bergholt, 1833 shown rainbow effects that made him more popular.

Royal Academy elected John Constable in 1829 at the age of 52 and in 1831 he became a visitor to give lectures to the students of Royal Academy. He was very popular among the students in 1835 he gave his last lecture that includes the praise of Raphael and Royal Academy also. On 31st March 1835 he died due to indigestion and buried at St John-at-Hampstead next to his beloved wife Maria.