Fir Trees at Hampstead
Drawing
1820 (drawn)
1820 (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The vertical inscription in the top right-hand corner reads 'Wedding day, Hampstead Octr. 2 1820'. But as far as we know not even Constable had time to sketch on his wedding day. In fact, he was married in 1816 on 2 October, so here he was commemorating the anniversary rather than the event itself. At the time Hampstead was still a rural village separate from London. The low viewpoint of the drawing emphasises the height and majesty of the trees and lends an element of drama to the scene. It is possible that this is the drawing that the poet and painter William Blake saw, exclaiming: 'Why, this is not drawing, but inspiration!' Constable is said to have replied, 'I never knew it before; I meant it for drawing'.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Fir Trees at Hampstead (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil on paper |
| Brief description | John Constable, Fir Trees at Hampstead, 1820, Reynolds cat. no. 203 |
| Physical description | Sketch of fir trees. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Isabel Constable, daughter of the artist |
| Historical context | In 1820 Constable exhibited at the Royal Academy 'Stratford Mill' (now in the collection of Sir Reginald Macdonald-Buchanan) and 'A View of Harwich Lighthouse' (see No. 142 [302-1888] above). He stayed with Fisher at Salisbury in July and August, settled his wife and children at Hampstead by 1 September, and paid a brief visit to Malvern Hall. [G Reynolds, 1973, p. 127] |
| Subject depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | The vertical inscription in the top right-hand corner reads 'Wedding day, Hampstead Octr. 2 1820'. But as far as we know not even Constable had time to sketch on his wedding day. In fact, he was married in 1816 on 2 October, so here he was commemorating the anniversary rather than the event itself. At the time Hampstead was still a rural village separate from London. The low viewpoint of the drawing emphasises the height and majesty of the trees and lends an element of drama to the scene. It is possible that this is the drawing that the poet and painter William Blake saw, exclaiming: 'Why, this is not drawing, but inspiration!' Constable is said to have replied, 'I never knew it before; I meant it for drawing'. |
| Bibliographic reference | Catalogue of the Constable Collection, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 127, 133, 132 |
| Other number | 203, plate 155 - Reynolds catalogue no. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 251-1888 |
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| Record created | February 20, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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