23. Sep, 2020

23. Sep, 2020

In 1819 he moved to Hampstead Heath on the outskirts of London. By this time his father had died, so he was more financially secure. He was now producing his best work, including ‘The Haywain’ in 1821. The work was based on many sketches he had produced, many of which still survive. In 1824 ‘The Haywain’ was exhibited in Paris, where it won a gold medal. The painting caused a stir amongst the French art critics, who were astonished by its freshness. In his later years he lectured, still trying to popularise landscape painting, but he died in 1837 with none of the fame he now has.

23. Sep, 2020

23. Sep, 2020

‘The Haywain’ by John Constable, is probably one of the most famous of all English paintings. Many a home has a print, but relatively few people know the story behind it.

John CoAnstable was born in East Bergholt, Suffolk, on 11th June 1776. Initially his father, Golding Constable wanted young John to join him is his prosperous corn business. By 1799 however it was obvious that John loved nothing more than drawing, so he was given an allowance to study at the Royal Academy in London. The art world was slow to recognize his talents. Landscapes were not considered very important in his day, so he had to produce a few portraits for his income. He would often spend his summers in East Anglia, making sketches ready for them to be transformed into his beautiful works when he returned to his home in London. During these early years he created such works as ‘Boatbuilding near Flatford Mill’ (1814-15) which can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.