“The white horse”
JOHN CONSTABLE
1819
oil on canvas, 131.4- 188.3 cm. - New York, Frick Collection.
John Constable (1776-1837) is, along with Joseph Mallord William Turner, the great figure of English romanticism. But unlike his contemporary, he never left England, and he devoted all his time to represent the life and landscapes of his beloved England. However, this self-imposed limitation was not an obstacle to develop a highly personal style that had an important influence in the Barbizon School.
“A calm, gray summer morning”: with these words described John Constable his painting “The white horse”, a sensational chronicle of the life in rural England Although most of the critics consider “The Hay Wain” to be Constable's greatest masterpiece, there is little doubt that “The white horse” was the artist's favourite and most loved work. In fact, Constable himself affirmed that “there is, in the artist's entire life, one, perhaps two or even three paintings in which one puts a special interest: here is the mine”. This painting was also Constable's first great success, and his admission in the Royal Academy of Arts.
Text by G. Fernández, www.theartwolf.com
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