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The Thames with Waterloo Bridge
John Constable, born 1776 - died 1837 - Enlarge image
The Thames with Waterloo Bridge
- Object:
Drawing
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
London, England (probably, made) - Date:
ca. 1819 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
John Constable, born 1776 - died 1837 (artist)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pen and bistre, with alterations in pencil and repairs in Indian ink
- Credit Line:
Given by Isabel Constable, daughter of the artist
- Museum number:
604-1888
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F, case WD, shelf 18
Physical description
Drawing of waterloo bridge with trees and boats.
Place of Origin
England, Great Britain (made)
London, England (probably, made)
Date
ca. 1819 (made)
Artist/maker
John Constable, born 1776 - died 1837 (artist)
Materials and Techniques
Pen and bistre, with alterations in pencil and repairs in Indian ink
Dimensions
Height: 16.5 cm, Width: 27.3 cm
Historical context note
In 1819 Constable exhibited at the Royal Academy 'A scene on the River Stour' ('The White Horse'), bought by John Fisher, and now in the Frick Collection, New York (see the sketch-book No. 132, pp. 66 and 70). His second child Maria Louisa (Minna) was born on 19 July. He took a house at Hampstead for the first time at the end of the summer. He was elected A.R.A. on 1 November.
[G Reynolds, 1973, p. 121]
Descriptive line
Drawing, 'The Thames with Waterloo Bridge' by Constable.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Lyles, Anne, ed. Constable : The Great Landscapes London: Tate Publishing, 2006. ISBN: 1854375830.
Exhibition catalogue.
Catalogue of the Constable Collection, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 121, 124
The following is an extract from the text of the entry:
The drawing is on thin paper which has been laid on card. The surface of the drawing is damaged in places and the repairs are carried out on the card and extended over to the original drawing; this suggests that the mounting and repair were the work of the artist. It has been considered practicable to remove the drawing from the card to examine the back.
The main lines of the composition in bistre are the same as those in the oil sketch No. 174 [322-1888] and the drawing may therefore have been made at approximately the same time. It differs in details, such as the height of the terrace on the left, the terrace architecture and the absence of the large barge in the foreground. Possibly it was the sketch from wich No. 174 [322-1888] was made; but there are no indications that the drawing was copied by the artist from the oil sketch in order to try out the effect of the pencil alterations in the left foreground. The main result of these is to give the principal tree a higher crown and more elongated appearance. This effect does not occur in No. 174 [322-1888] nor in the large oil study in the collection of Lord Fairhaven, but something similar is to be found in the exhibited picture of 1832. Sutton (loc. cit., p. 251) inclines to the same view.
Exhibition History
Constable : The Great Landscapes (The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens 03/02/2007-29/04/2007)
Constable : The Great Landscapes (National Gallery of Art, Washington DC 01/10/2006-31/12/2006)
Constable : The Great Landscapes (Tate 01/06/2006-28/08/2006)
Constable: a breath of fresh air (The Millennium Galleries, Sheffield 08/02/2003-27/04/2003)
John Constable, selected by Lucian Freud (Grand Palais 10/10/2002-13/01/2003)
Collection code
PDP
