John Constable was a British icon known for countryside landscape painting. He was primarily known for the paintings he did of the River Stour, although after his painting of the river became famous, people called it “Constable country.”
Constable country was the community around his boyhood home so the paintings were more meaningful to John. This was one of his few landscapes that focused on civilised land rather than great historical or mythological landscapes. The painting looks like it is made up of thick blobs or strokes. Although these strokes are precise enough to allow the audience to easily understand the image.
The Hay Wain was another example of the agricultural civilized paintings John made in his career. The mood it creates is old and rustic and contains a wagon that is crossing a stream near a place by the name of Flatford Mill. The cottage to the left was his fathers where John grew up in. Once again, to John, a landscape filled with nostalgia.
Maria Bicknell is John’s wife. This is a portrait painting which was done approximately 3 months before their wedding. The portrait successfully pops out to the viewer due to the high contrast with the background. Most of his portraits were not created with love rather only for revenue.
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows was a painting created as a symbol of hope during the romantic movement. It was also created shortly after the death of his wife, and was the last of his large canvas paintings.
Dedham Vale was a painting John created when he was 26 and one of the most major paintings he created to establish a name for himself. The trees in the painting create a frame that leads the viewers eye towards the river in the distance. This seems to be the primary focal point.
Sources
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/constables-studies-for-the-hay-wain/
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