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John Constable: A Kingdom of his Own
A major new biography of the great English landscape painter, by longtime New Yorker writer Anthony Bailey. Born in 1776, John Constable was destined for his father's milling business, but he was obdurately opposed to this and persuaded his family he should become an artist. In the same determined spirit, he persisted in painting landscapes at a time when history paintings and portraits were the fashion. Today, Constable's reputation is on the rise once again, as witnessed by the exhibitions of his most famous paintings at Tate Britain, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the Huntington Gallery in California. Anthony Bailey's important new book explores Constable's life and work, highlighting throughout the dramatic tension between the two.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 23, 2007
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26 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Bailey
197 books8 followersAnthony Bailey (born 1933) was a British non-fiction writer, and art historian.
He was evacuated to Dayton, Ohio, in 1940 during World War II. For many years he was a writer for the New Yorker magazine.
He died of corona virus in Colchester, Essex, which he contracted whilst in hospital for hip surgery after a fall at his home.
He lived in Mersea Island, near Colchester, Essex, with his wife Margot. They have four daughters: Liz, Annie, Katie and Rachel.
His obituary in the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/bo...
He was evacuated to Dayton, Ohio, in 1940 during World War II. For many years he was a writer for the New Yorker magazine.
He died of corona virus in Colchester, Essex, which he contracted whilst in hospital for hip surgery after a fall at his home.
He lived in Mersea Island, near Colchester, Essex, with his wife Margot. They have four daughters: Liz, Annie, Katie and Rachel.
His obituary in the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/bo...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 26, 2019
“Landscape is my mistress - 'tis to her I look for fame.” John Constable
John Constable was a 19th-century, English Romantic painter and master landscape artist. This excellent and detailed biography tells of his life, his family and his work. He believed that “no painter was ever self-taught” and attended the Royal Academy of Art in London when he was 23 years old in 1799. He could spend hours making outdoor oil sketches of nature, weather, light and the clouds.
Born in 1776 in East Anglia, John Constable was going to work for his wealthy father who had a business of corn milling and grain-shipping. He tried it, hated it and decided he wanted to be an artist instead. He had the encouragement from his mother who saw that landscape painting made her son happy.
Constable was in love with a younger woman named Maria Bicknell that he had met when she was twelve and he was twenty-four. He secretly courted her for seven years. They decided to marry despite her family who strongly opposed the marriage and threatened to disinherit her. When his father died and left him some money, he married Maria in 1816. He wrote to Maria “Never will I marry if I marry not you. Truly can I say that for the seven years since I avowed my love for you, I never have done any thing that I considered could have made you any way uncomfortable.”
After the marriage, Maria who suffered from ill-health moved to Hampstead in North London with her new husband. Constable's nature is shown in the book as strong-willed, stubborn, moody and often depressed. Luckily, he had a few close friends and was intensely devoted to his wife and their seven children. His art revolved around his homes in Suffolk, Brighton, Salisbury and Hampstead. and the area he lived as a child called Dedham Vale in Suffolk. He loved to paint realistic landscapes and refused to do much traveling. He wrote to a friend, “I have a kingdom of my own, both fertile and populous - my landscape and my children.” His most famous painting is called “The Haywain” was made in Suffolk on the River Stour. It was a critical success in France and won prizes there.
After twelve years of marriage, his beloved wife, Maria, who was only 41, died of tuberculous. Constable never really recovered and wore black for the rest of his life. He wrote to his brother “Hourly do I feel the loss of my departed angel-God only knows how my children will be brought up..the face of the World has totally changed for me.”
Constable died in London in 1837. His paintings have had long reaching effects on European art and he is considered one of the great talents of his genre. The book really highlights his relationships and creates a very rich portrait of a great artist. There are maps and color/ black and white illustrations. Four stars.
John Constable was a 19th-century, English Romantic painter and master landscape artist. This excellent and detailed biography tells of his life, his family and his work. He believed that “no painter was ever self-taught” and attended the Royal Academy of Art in London when he was 23 years old in 1799. He could spend hours making outdoor oil sketches of nature, weather, light and the clouds.
Born in 1776 in East Anglia, John Constable was going to work for his wealthy father who had a business of corn milling and grain-shipping. He tried it, hated it and decided he wanted to be an artist instead. He had the encouragement from his mother who saw that landscape painting made her son happy.
Constable was in love with a younger woman named Maria Bicknell that he had met when she was twelve and he was twenty-four. He secretly courted her for seven years. They decided to marry despite her family who strongly opposed the marriage and threatened to disinherit her. When his father died and left him some money, he married Maria in 1816. He wrote to Maria “Never will I marry if I marry not you. Truly can I say that for the seven years since I avowed my love for you, I never have done any thing that I considered could have made you any way uncomfortable.”
After the marriage, Maria who suffered from ill-health moved to Hampstead in North London with her new husband. Constable's nature is shown in the book as strong-willed, stubborn, moody and often depressed. Luckily, he had a few close friends and was intensely devoted to his wife and their seven children. His art revolved around his homes in Suffolk, Brighton, Salisbury and Hampstead. and the area he lived as a child called Dedham Vale in Suffolk. He loved to paint realistic landscapes and refused to do much traveling. He wrote to a friend, “I have a kingdom of my own, both fertile and populous - my landscape and my children.” His most famous painting is called “The Haywain” was made in Suffolk on the River Stour. It was a critical success in France and won prizes there.
After twelve years of marriage, his beloved wife, Maria, who was only 41, died of tuberculous. Constable never really recovered and wore black for the rest of his life. He wrote to his brother “Hourly do I feel the loss of my departed angel-God only knows how my children will be brought up..the face of the World has totally changed for me.”
Constable died in London in 1837. His paintings have had long reaching effects on European art and he is considered one of the great talents of his genre. The book really highlights his relationships and creates a very rich portrait of a great artist. There are maps and color/ black and white illustrations. Four stars.
March 26, 2013
Very easy to read. I loved it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews