East Bergholt Church: south archway of the ruined tower
Watercolour (Painting)
09/06/1806 (painted)
09/06/1806 (painted)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
East Bergholt Church features frequently in Constable's watercolours, but this view of the ruined tower is relatively unusual. Images of ruins were a recurrent theme in Romantic art and literature. Constable would return to painting ruins after the death of his wife in 1828, when they took on a more personal significance.
Constable painted this watercolour during a visit to East Bergholt in June 1806.
Constable painted this watercolour during a visit to East Bergholt in June 1806.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | East Bergholt Church: south archway of the ruined tower (popular title) |
Materials and techniques | Pnecil and watercolour on paper |
Brief description | Watercolour, East Bergholt Church: south archway of the ruined tower, by John Constable, 1806 |
Physical description | A watercolour depicting the south archway of the ruined tower of East Bergholt Church. The tower and archway fill the whole sheet. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions | 'E. Bergholt June 9 1806' (Inscribed on the back in pencil by the artist. The inscription is repeated in ink in another hand.) |
Credit line | Given by Isabel Constable, daughter of the artist |
Object history | This watercolour was made during Constable's visit to East Bergholt in June 1806. It is the only watercolour from that visit with a precise date, and is the only one in which the church fills the whole sheet, crowding out the sky. |
Historical context | Ruins were a recurrent theme in Romantic art and literature. They later acquired much personal meaning for Constable after the death of his wife in 1828, when he used a painting of Hadleigh Castle to express his sorrow. 'Constable's only exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1806 was No. 65 [169-1888]. In June he was at East Bergholt, as is attested by Nos. 66 and 67 [224-1888 and 346-1888]. In the autumn he paid a visit of some two months to the Lake District and made many drawings, among them Nos. 72-94 [794-1888, 348-1888, 192-1888, 812-1888, 170-1888, 185-1888, 188-1888, 184-1888, 187-1888, 178-1888, 179-1888, 177-1888, 193-1888, 183-1888, 1256-1888, 596-1888, 181-1888, 182-1888, 1257-1888, 811-1888, 349-1888]. G Reynolds, 1973, p. 56 |
Subjects depicted | |
Place depicted | |
Summary | East Bergholt Church features frequently in Constable's watercolours, but this view of the ruined tower is relatively unusual. Images of ruins were a recurrent theme in Romantic art and literature. Constable would return to painting ruins after the death of his wife in 1828, when they took on a more personal significance. Constable painted this watercolour during a visit to East Bergholt in June 1806. |
Bibliographic reference | G. Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum: Catalogue of the Constable Collection, 1973, p. 57, no. 66. |
Collection | |
Accession number | 224-1888 |
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Record created | October 27, 2005 |
Record URL |
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