| Constable was born in East Bergholt, Suffolk. His | | | | outside, but always produced the finished pictures |
| father was a wealthy corn merchant who owned | | | | in his studio. |
| several mills and even his own small ship. John | | | | In 1819 the sale of his first large-scale painting, |
| was the second son in the family, but his elder | | | | The White Horse, led Constable to produce other |
| brother was mentally handicapped so John was | | | | large-scale works, which he called "six-footers", |
| expected to take over the family business after | | | | and in 1824 The Hay Wain, won a gold medal at |
| leaving school. His heart however was not in it. | | | | the Paris Salon. In 1829 the Royal Academy |
| During his school years he would take sketching | | | | reluctantly made Constable a member by a |
| trips in the local countryside which awakened his | | | | majority of only one vote. |
| artistic spirit and, in his own words, "made me a | | | | His work though was greatly appreciated in |
| painter, and I am grateful." | | | | France, especially by Delacroix. But Constable |
| In 1799 Constable persuaded his father to let him | | | | refused to move there, stating that "I would |
| study art at the Royal Academy Schools where | | | | rather be a poor man in England than a rich man |
| he copied Old Masters and attended life drawing | | | | abroad." |
| classes. He was inspired by artists like | | | | In 1828 Maria died of tuberculosis shortly after |
| Gainsborough and Rubens. Turner was a fellow | | | | giving birth to their seventh child. She was |
| student, but the two artists were never friends | | | | forty-one years old. Constable fell into depression |
| and while Turner went on to achieve success, | | | | for the rest of his life and, even though he had |
| Constable sold just 20 paintings in his lifetime. | | | | seven children to care for, suffered from anxiety |
| He married his childhood sweetheart, Maria | | | | and always dressed in black. As he wrote to his |
| Bicknell, in 1816 after a seven-year courtship. | | | | brother "…the face of the World is totally |
| Maria’s family had opposed the marriage | | | | changed to me" and he never recovered. |
| because Constable was penniless, despite the fact | | | | Constable died in 1837 and was buried in |
| that he had been exhibiting at the Royal Academy | | | | Hampstead next to his wife. He did not have any |
| since 1803 and painted portraits in order to make | | | | artistic successors in England even though there |
| some money. It was only when Constable’s | | | | were many imitators, including his son, Lionel. But |
| parents died and he inherited a share of the | | | | the real legacy of the man who had once said |
| family business that the couple were able to | | | | "painting is but another word for feeling" was the |
| marry. | | | | influence he would have on French artists through |
| John and Maria were a happy couple and had | | | | to the Impressionists. |
| seven children, and this happiness is reflected in | | | | |
| Constable’s art. His brushwork became | | | | You can find a wide collection of John Constable |
| stronger, his color more brilliant. He captured | | | | paint by number patterns at the Segmation web |
| sunlight in daubs of pure yellows and whites, and | | | | site. These patterns may be viewed, painted, |
| rendered stormy skies with a rapid brush. He | | | | and printed using SegPlay™PC a fun, |
| painted the places he loved, particularly sceneries | | | | computerized paint-by-numbers program for |
| of his native Suffolk and Hampstead where he | | | | Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. |
| lived after marrying Maria. He made oil sketches | | | | |