John Constable: The Man And His Art

A new introduction to the life and work of John Constable, one of Britain's best-loved landscape painters.

The V&A holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Constable's work in the world. Particularly strong in preparatory studies, this remarkable collection gives an unparalleled insight into the mind of a great artist and into the creative process.

Drawing on this unique archive, the book provides a fascinating view of how some of Constable's major masterpieces were achieved: from the smallest pencil sketch, to the more elaborate pen and ink, wash or watercolour study, to one of the famous oil sketches, and eventually to the finished painting as it would have hung on the wall of the Royal Academy nearly 200 years ago.

Looking in detail at both his life and work, this book ranges from his early years in the Suffolk countryside, through his career at the Royal Academy and his relationship with fellow artist Turner, to his last years in Hampstead. The text draws extensively on Constable's own letters and on accounts of his life by friends and contemporaries. It is illustrated throughout in colour with key paintings, drawings and many details which reveal Constable's deep understanding of nature and above all his mastery of technique.