Romanticism
A movement in art, literature and music in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that rejected neoclassical restraint in favour of emotion and individual expression.
Biography
Born
1776
Died
1837
Nationality
English
Birth place
East Bergholt
Death place
Hampstead
Constable introduced a new and refreshing naturalism into British nineteenth-century landscape painting. He concentrated on depicting the Suffolk countryside around his birthplace, although also painted in Salisbury and Hampstead. Constable never travelled abroad. His compositions and interest in light effects were influenced by Claude Lorrain's classical landscapes, but he rejected the mellow tones and smooth finish of 'old masters', favouring broken, richly textures brushwork. Constable observed nature intently, studying its ever-changing appearances through pencil drawings and vigorous oil sketches. He eventually received official recognition as a full member of the Royal Academy in 1829.
Glossary terms