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Old Sarum

Print
1830 (made), 01/1831 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This print has been created by David Lucas after a painting by John Constable. It was published by Constable in English Landscape Scenery, number 2, January 1831. Constable, who was interested in the 'chiaroscuro of nature', or the effects of light and shade, chose mezzotint as the print medium for reproducing his work and asked Lucas to collaborate with him. Constable reworked the details to ensure that the image reproduced his ideas exactly.

This subject was begun in 1829, the same year as Constable made the oil sketch on which it is based. It was ready for printing in January 1830. In the second edition of English Landscape Scenery, 1833, Constable replaced it with another plate in which the terraces of Old Sarum were more strongly delineated.

The original oil sketch for this subject (Museum no. 163-1888) and a watercolour of it (Museum no. 1628-1888) are also in the V&A's collection.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleOld Sarum (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Mezzotint on laid paper
Brief description
Mezzotint by David Lucas after Constable's 'Old Sarum', London, 1829-1830
Physical description
Landscape showing the hill at Old Sarum, farmland and farm animals, and a shepherd and his dog herding a flock of sheep in the foreground, left.
Dimensions
  • Papersize height: 29.7cm
  • Papersize width: 37.4cm
  • Platemark size height: 18.4cm
  • Platemark size width: 25.4cm
  • Picturesize height: 14cm
  • Picturesize width: 21.6cm
Object history
The plate was begun in 1829 and ready for printing in January 1830. In the second edition of English Landscape Sceenery, 1833, Constable replaced it with another plate in which the terraces of Old Sarum are more strongly delineated. This impression has been printed with a small hair between the paper and the plate seen at the top of the slope of the mound to the viewer's left.
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
This print has been created by David Lucas after a painting by John Constable. It was published by Constable in English Landscape Scenery, number 2, January 1831. Constable, who was interested in the 'chiaroscuro of nature', or the effects of light and shade, chose mezzotint as the print medium for reproducing his work and asked Lucas to collaborate with him. Constable reworked the details to ensure that the image reproduced his ideas exactly.

This subject was begun in 1829, the same year as Constable made the oil sketch on which it is based. It was ready for printing in January 1830. In the second edition of English Landscape Scenery, 1833, Constable replaced it with another plate in which the terraces of Old Sarum were more strongly delineated.

The original oil sketch for this subject (Museum no. 163-1888) and a watercolour of it (Museum no. 1628-1888) are also in the V&A's collection.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • English Landscape Scenery. Part 2. Published by John Constable, 1831.
  • Shirley, A. The published mezzotints of David Lucas after John Constable, R.A.: a catalogue and historical account. (Oxford, 1930)
  • Wilton, 10
  • Catalogue of the Complete Works of David Lucas. Gooden and Fox's Gallery, May, 1903.
Collection
Accession number
E.777-1991

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Record createdMay 26, 2006
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