Biography

John Constable was born on June 11th 1776 East Bergholt Suffolk and died March 31st 1837. He was a major figure in English Landscape paintings in the early 19th century. He is best known for his paintings of the English countryside.

Who was John Constable influenced by ?

John Constable was influenced by Dutch artists such as Jacob van Ruisdael and Jacob van Ruisdael. Constables work was highly original because of the realism and vitality of his paintings.

John Constables Paintings

Image Analysis

The colour in this painting is very dark and dramatic and looks like the painting is representing a storm and how small the person in the painting actually is compared to the storm and the severity of the storm. The size of the person in the painting shows just how destructive and terrifying storms can be. The lines in this painting suggests how dramatic John Constable tried to make the painting as the dark black lines have been painted in all directions which make the painting look very chaotic. There is no pattern in this painting which doesn’t make it very aesthetic to look at and makes you not know where to look at the painting because the directions of the lines are all over the place and not in any specific pattern. The layout of this painting is focused more in the middle of the painting and a bit towards the outside but is mainly in the middle where the storm is painted.

The idea behind this painting ?

The idea behind this painting is linked to the sublime as the storm can be so beautiful and mesmerising but also terrifying and can turn and destroy anything so quickly. The thought behind the painting to make the man so small also suggests how big the storm can get and how much more powerful the storm is compared to the man in the painting.