John Constable : the making of a master
(Book)

Published to accompany an exhibition held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, September 20, 2014-January 11, 2015.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-219) and index.

Criticized in his lifetime for his rough handling of paint, John Constable's paintings have long defined the idea of the English countryside, its geography fully captured by his remarkable naturalism. His 'vivid and timeless' oil sketches, as he called them, have been celebrated since the 1890s as precursors of impressionism, modernism and photography. This major book reconciles the two defining aspects of Constable's work - his revolutionary painting techniques and his reverence for the old masters.