A Suffolk Child: sketch for 'The Valley Farm'

Physical description

Watercolour depicting a Suffolk Child by John Constable, Britain, ca.1835.

Place of Origin

England, Great Britain (painted)

Date

ca. 1835 (painted)

Artist/maker

John Constable, born 1776 - died 1837 (artist)

Materials and Techniques

Pencil and watercolour

Marks and inscriptions

'Suffolk Child'

Dimensions

Height: 18.5 cm, Width: 13.7 cm

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]

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

Catalogue of the Constable Collection, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 221, 224, 225
The following is an extract from the text of the entry:
“The drawing had been mounted upon fairly modern card on which was written in pencil Suffolk Child. The back of the drawing itself bears no such inscription, but the outline of the drawing on the front has been traced over on the back in pencil and slightly elaborated. This tracing was made by the artist to facilitate the use of the drawing in painting ‘The Valley Farm’; the seated figure of the countrywoman in the boat in the exhibited version is based upon it (that is, in reverse to the position on the recto), but is given older features.
The title on the back, ‘Suffolk Child’, was perhaps the name by which the drawing was known to Constable’s family.”

Exhibition History

John Constable (Wolsey Art Gallery, Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich 22 Mar 2013-30 June 2013)

Materials

Pencil; Watercolour

Techniques

Drawing; Painting

Subjects depicted

Child

Categories

Drawings; Paintings

Collection code

PDP