A Suffolk Child: sketch for 'The Valley Farm' thumbnail 1
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A Suffolk Child: sketch for 'The Valley Farm'

Watercolour (Painting)
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
TitleA 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
  • Height: 18.5cm
  • Width: 13.7cm
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 createdNovember 5, 2002
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