Creator:

John Constable, 1776–1837, British

Title:
Landscape at East Bergholt
Date:
ca. 1805
Materials & Techniques:
Watercolor and graphite on medium, moderately textured, cream laid paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 7 x 8 1/2 inches (17.8 x 21.6 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1977.14.4660
Former gallery labels:
John Constable lacked the natural facility of Turner and Girtin and struggled to achieve his goal of being a major painter. In 1802, frustrated with his progress at the Royal Academy Schools, he told a friend that “I shall shortly return [home] to Bergholt where I shall make some laborious studies of nature—and I shall endeavour to get a pure and unaffected representation of the scenes that may employ me.” Initially he made his studies in oils, but around 1805 he began to dabble in watercolor. This example, a product of that period of study, was almost certainly painted outdoors directly from nature. Already we find Constable’s trademark concern to capture specific atmospheric conditions. --- --- Gallery label for Great British Watercolors from the Paul Mellon Collection at the Yale Center for British Art (Yale Center for British Art, 2008-06-09 - 2008-08-17)