John Constable : The Making of a Master

Mark Evans, Stephen Calloway, Susan Owens

ISBN 10: 1851778004 / ISBN 13: 9781851778003

Published by Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2014

About this Item

224 pages. Hardcover. Texts in English. Minimal shelfwear rubbing to the dustjacket. Otherwise, the binding is tight, the edges and corners of the boards are sharp, the interior clean and free of markings. Bound in paper covered boards and wrapped in an illustrated paper dustjacket, published on the occasion of the exhibition held from September 20, 2014-January 11, 2015. Brilliantly illustrated. Mostly in color.

Seller Inventory # 030312

Bibliographic Details

• Title: John Constable : The Making of a Master
• Publisher: Victoria & Albert Museum, London
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1851778004
• ISBN 13: 9781851778003
• Binding: Cloth
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine Condition
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine Condition

About this title

Synopsis

Criticized in his lifetime for his rough handling of paint, John Constable’s (1776–1837) 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. Where other artists competed with the masters, Constable assimilated their ideas and values to imbue his own naturalistic vision with dynamism. This seeming incompatibility, placed in the context of the artist’s wider practice, helps delineate why Constable remains such a powerful influence on contemporary artists.

About the Author

Mark Evans is senior curator of Paintings at the V&A.