Summer Morning

David Lucas|John Constable

ca. 1830 · Mezzotint; between states a and b, proof before letters · Drawings and Prints

In 1827, Constable began work on the project that would occupy his attention until his death seven years later: the publication of a series of prints based on his paintings that would stand as a summary of his achievements. The painter collaborated closely with the engraver David Lucas to create prints that would convey Constable's didactic intention—to illustrate the "chiaroscuro of nature." The medium of mezzotint, in which the design is developed from dark to light using a wide range of velvety tones, was eminently suited to the project. Here, the bright sun of a summer morning illuminates a richly textured landscape, striated in light and shade.

Artist

David Lucas|John Constable

Date

ca. 1830

Medium

Mezzotint; between states a and b, proof before letters

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1939