Derbyshire Landscape

John Constable

1815 · Brush and gray wash and graphite · Drawings and Prints

Traditionally, this drawing has been called a view Derbyshire, a county that Constable visited in 1801. An inscription on the back of the sheet links the view to Lowther Castle, Westmorland, in 1815, although this later date seems unlikely–since the artist's style had changed significantly by that date. In its compositional structure and the handling, the drawing resembles a watercolor view of the Thames from Windsor Castle (now Rhode Island School of Design) made by Constable in 1802. Sensitively applied wash alternates darks with lights to describe trees growlng along rolling hills and to indicate recession. An interst in simplified landscape forms suggests an awareness of the work of a near contemporary Thomas Girtin.

Artist

John Constable

Date

1815

Medium

Brush and gray wash and graphite

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971