A Suffolk Child: sketch for 'The Valley Farm'
Watercolour (Painting)
ca. 1835 (painted)
ca. 1835 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Constable made very few drawings of the human figure apart from those in small sketchbooks. This watercolour is a figure study for the large oil painting The Valley Farm. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1835 and is now in Tate Britain. In the painting the figure is reversed and transformed from a young girl into an older countrywoman seated in a boat.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | A Suffolk Child: sketch for 'The Valley Farm' (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil and watercolour |
| Brief description | Watercolour, A Suffolk Child: sketch for 'The Valley Farm', by John Constable, c.1835? |
| Physical description | Watercolour depicting a seated young girl wearing a dress and bonnet. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Suffolk Child' (Witten in pencil on a fairly modern card on which the drawing had been mounted.) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Isabel Constable, daughter of the artist |
| Historical context | '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] |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Constable made very few drawings of the human figure apart from those in small sketchbooks. This watercolour is a figure study for the large oil painting The Valley Farm. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1835 and is now in Tate Britain. In the painting the figure is reversed and transformed from a young girl into an older countrywoman seated in a boat. |
| Bibliographic reference | Catalogue of the Constable Collection, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 221, 224, 225 |
| Other number | 377, plate 272 - Reynolds catalogue no. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 600-1888 |
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| Record created | November 5, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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