The ruins of the Maison Dieu, Arundel.

Physical description

Dark sketch of ruins with a bird flying overhead.

Place of Origin

Arundel, England (made)

Date

8 July 1835 (made)

Artist/maker

John Constable, born 1776 - died 1837 (artist)

Materials and Techniques

Pencil

Marks and inscriptions

Arundel July 8th. 1835 Maison Dieu.

Dimensions

Height: 8.625 in, Width: 11 in

Historical context note

'In 1835 Constable's sole exhibit at the Royal Academy was 'The Valley Farm' (see Nos. 373-377 [143-1888, 140-1888, 1249-1888, 1248-1888, 600-1888]). He visited George Constable at Arundel in July. He visited Worcester (where paintings by him had been exhibited in July) to give three lectures, in October.'

[G Reynolds, 1973, p. 221]

Descriptive line

Pencil drawing, 'The ruins of the Maison Dieu, Arundel' by Constable.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Catalogue of the Constable Collection, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 221, 225
The following is an extract from the text of the entry:
"The drawing has been trimmed and laid down on card, and so has lost any distinguishing marks which it may have had of being a sketch-book page, but the measurements suggest that it came from the sketch-book discussed in the note following No. 384 [836-1888]. The drawing 'Stormy Effect, Littlehampton' in the British Museum, L.B. 18a (1l3 x 185 mm.), bears the same date.

Note on Nos. 378-381, 383 and 384 [272-1888, 260-1888, 312-1888, 615-1888, 314-1888, 836-1888]

Nos. 380 [312-1888], 381 [615-1888] and 383 [314-1888] come from the same sketch-book of which the leaves measure 221 x 285 mm. (8 ¾ x 11 1/8 ins.), which was used by the artist on his summer visit to George Constable at Arundel concurrently with the intact sketch-book No. 382 [316-1888], and again when he went to Worcester to lecture in October. For the reasons given in the entries on those drawings, Nos. 378 [272-1888], 379 [260-1888] and 384 [836-1888] are probably from the same book. Holmes, p. 252, notes in the Sir J. C. Robinson sale of 21 April 1902 a drawing 'Landscape with Cottages' dated 15 July 1835 and measuring 8 ¾ x 11 ins. This was made during the visit to Arundel and may have been from the same sketch-book.”
"

Exhibition History

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