Constable and the Tradition of the Eighteenth Century Landscape Painting(Papers Read at the 31th National Congress)

Abstract

The choice of the subject seems to be important moment for Constable's naturalism. Because his constant love of the native scenes made him paint landscapes and it is this favourite scenery which formed his natural vision. At the beginning he drew rustic cottages as had been advised by J.T. Smith, but he saw them through the picturesque eye. He also attempted sketching trips several times as topographers had, especially in 1806 he visited the famous Lake Districts. In these English scenes he followed the eighteenth century manner and concepts of beauty, for example sublime. While he had drawn and painted "Constable Country" under the guidance of Gainsborough, his forerunner and countryman. Among them the oil sketches which was made about 1802 are most noteworthy. In these he revealed his fresh and delightful feeling to the countryside which had never been observed before. They show his aesthetic sympathy to the subject which cannot be found both in the previous pictures and in the topographic watercolours. Therefore we can regard 1802 as a turning-point of Constable's art and appreciate the significance of Gainsborough's influence on this point.