A fresh and lively biography of the revolutionary landscape painter John Constable.
John Constable, who captured the landscapes and skies of southern England in a way never before seen on canvas, is beloved but little-understood artist.
His paintings reflect visions of landscape that shocked and perplexed his contemporaries: attentive to detail, spontaneous in gesture, brave in their use of color. His landscapes show that he had sharp local knowledge of the environment. His skyscapes show a clarity of expression rarely seen in other artist's work. The figures within show an understanding of the human tides of his time. And his late paintings of Salisbury Cathedral show a rare ability to transform silent, suppressed passion into paint.
Constable was also an active and energetic correspondent. His letters and diaries reveal a man of opinion, passion, and discord. His letters also reveal the lives and circumstances of his extended family who serve to define the social and economic landscape against which he can be most clearly seen. These multifaceted reflections draw a sharp picture of the person, as well as the painter.
James Hamilton's biography reveals a complex and troubled man. Hamilton's portrait explodes previous mythologies about this timeless artist and establishes him in his proper context as a giant of European art.
“An eye-opening biography. This life of the celebrated landscape painter is full of surprises. The most fascinating pages in Hamilton's book come from his close scrutiny of Constable's canvases, [and the] magnificent color plates lift it on to another plane. They track Constable's career from the early portraits to exciting sky effects like the tempestuous Rainstorm over the Sea, painted in Brighton. Such illustrations make John Constable a treasure."
“Delightful, lively and warm-hearted. To read this book is to be taken to the best and worst of the early 1800s: the glorious civilization of it all, the charm and beauty of 'Constable Country' which he immortalized, the wild cragginess of Hampstead Heath, the gaggles of rosy-cheeked children; but alongside it the snootiness of the highborn towards the low-born, and the constant terror of an early death.”
"An excellent biography. Revealing on the life, perceptive on the art."
“Absorbing. Hamilton has made judicious use of Constable's extensive correspondence and other writings, drawing deeply on these rich resources to bring the artist's own words into the heart of his book. Hamilton is particularly illuminating on Constable's early life. Hamilton is an astute judge of his subject's complex character. Constable may be a challenging subject, but Hamilton's deft use of his compelling voice keeps the narrative moving.”
