A country road with elm trees
Drawing
ca. 1830-ca. 1836 (drawn)
ca. 1830-ca. 1836 (drawn)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Constable's late wash drawings are notable for their free handling and almost expressionistic quality. This view of a country road is relatively restrained and more highly finished than some of its cousins. However, the rather menacing group of elm trees that blocks the horizon is characteristic of the dark mood common to his last drawings.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | A country road with elm trees (popular title) |
Materials and techniques | Pencil, pen and bistre wash |
Brief description | Drawing, A country road with elm trees, by John Constable, pencil, pen and bistre wash, ca.1830-6 |
Physical description | A pencil, pen and bistre wash drawing of a country road winding toward a group of elm trees. Houses are visible in the distance, upper left. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Marks and inscriptions | pencil scribbles (On back, presumably by artist.) |
Credit line | Given by Isabel Constable, daughter of the artist |
Object history | This may be one of the last drawings Constable completed. Reynolds groups with with 248-1888 and 816-1888 as representative examples of the last phase of Constable's draughtsmanship. |
Historical context | 'In 1836 Constable's two exhibits at the Royal Academy were the 'Cenotaph to the memory of Sir Joshua Reynolds' (now in the Tate Gallery, No. 1272) and the watercolour 'Stonehenge' (No. 395 [1629-1888]). He gave four lectures on 'The History of Landscape Painting' at the Royal Institution in May and June of this year and his last lecture, at Hampstead, on 25 July. Constable died on 31 March 1837. His almost completed painting 'Arundel Mill and Castle' (now in the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio; see No. 379 [260-1888]) was exhibited posthumously at the Royal Academy.' [G Reynolds, 1973, p. 233] |
Production | This drawing, along with Reynolds cat. nos. 412 and 413, are grouped together as examples of the last phase of Constable's draughtsmanship due to their resemblance to other late drawings of known date. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Constable's late wash drawings are notable for their free handling and almost expressionistic quality. This view of a country road is relatively restrained and more highly finished than some of its cousins. However, the rather menacing group of elm trees that blocks the horizon is characteristic of the dark mood common to his last drawings. |
Bibliographic reference | Catalogue of the Constable Collection, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 233, 241 |
Other number | 415, plate 310 - Reynolds catalogue no. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 603-1888 |
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Record created | October 20, 2005 |
Record URL |
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