John Constable

Born in East Bergholt, Suffolk, he painted his home surroundings throughout his life. This area is now famously known as 'Constable Country'.¹

He rejected the fashionable 'bravura' style of his day, striving instead to be a 'natural painter' focused on the freshness of light and color.¹

Visits to his friend John Fisher in Salisbury inspired some of his greatest works, including his iconic series of the Salisbury Cathedral.¹

He married Maria Bicknell at age 40 after seven years of opposition from her grandfather, who considered the Constables socially inferior.¹

To gain attention, he began painting on massive six-foot canvases. His masterpiece 'The Hay Wain' was part of this ambitious series.¹

He famously stated, 'painting is but another word for feeling,' investing his landscapes with deep affection and revolutionizing the genre.¹

He was elected to the Royal Academy at the late age of 52 and struggled financially for most of his career despite his current popularity.¹