John Constable

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Image:ConstableSelfPortrait.png John Constable (June 11, 1776 – March 31, 1837) was a British artist. He was born in East Bergholt, a village on the River Stour in Suffolk, England. His father was a wealthy corn merchant and Constable worked at his father's business after leaving school. However, he realized he was not interested in the business and left to study art in London. He exhibited his first painting in 1802.

Constable is known for his landscape paintings, though he only sold 20 paintings in England during his lifetime and was not elected to the Royal Academy until he was 52, just 8 years before his death. At the time, his work was appreciated more in France, and his The Hay Wain painting showed in the Paris Salon in 1824.

The area of Dedham Vale in Suffolk is known as Constable Country. A view from Flatford Mill, is the subject of one of his best known paintings, The Hay Wain. It was owned by his father, a miller who did well in the trade. Nearby Bridge Cottage is a National Trust property. Image:Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds c.1825.jpg Constable loved Maria Bicknell, a local girl whose solicitor father was acquainted with the king, and who did not consider Constable good enough for his daughter. After five years, he finally gave his consent to the marriage in 1816. After giving birth to seven children, Maria died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1829, an event which devastated her husband.

The French artist Delacroix and the Barbizon School were influenced by Constable and followed his lead in doing outdoor sketches. The French Impressionists also built on Constable's techniques in capturing the moods of light.

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