John Constable - Painter of Vanishing Realities

John Constable - Stour Valley and Dedham Village, approx. 1814, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (click photo for larger image)English Romantic Painter John Constable (1776-1837) was a master of Romantic landscape painting, during the early 19th century. His painting style and approach would strongly influence the Barbizon School and French Impressionists--and the region where he most liked to paint is known as “Constable Country.” An early artist of the plein-air approach, Constable also chose subjects that were largely unknown to the general public. In his later years--he used the drama of stormy skies and the capturing of moments in time to inspire meditation on the vanishing lifestyles of rural Britain.