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Quote by John Constable

“I ought to respect myself for my friends' sake, and my children's. It is time, at fifty-six, to begin, at least, to know oneself, - and I do know what I am not, and your regard for me has at least awakened me to believe in the possibility that I may yet make some impression with my "light" - my "dews" - my "breezes" - my bloom and freshness, - no one of which qualities has yet been perfected on the canvas of any painter in the world.”

Quote by John Constable

Author

John Constable was an English landscape painter renowned for his detailed depictions of the English countryside. His works are characterized by their use of natural light and color, showcasing the tranquility and harmony of the English landscape. more

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“My canvas soothes me into forgetfulness of the scene of turmoil and folly - and worse - of the scene around me. Every gleam of sunshine is blighted to me in the art at least. Can it therefore be wondered at that I paint continual storms? "Tempest o'er tempest roll'd" - still the "darkness" is majestic.”

Art Stills Darkness Scene Paint Storm Folly Sunshine Canvas Forgetfulness Turmoil Tempest Gleam Majestic

Author:John Constable

“I am glad you encouraged me with the 'Stoke' [his painting 'Stoke-by-Nayland', circa 1835] What say you to a summer morning? July or August, at eight or nine o'clock, after a slight shower during the night, to enhance the dews in the shadowed part of the picture, under 'Hedge row elms and hillocks green.' Then the plough, cart, horse, gate, cows, donkey, &c. are all good paintable material for the foreground, and the size of the canvas sufficient to try one's strength, and keep one at full collar.”

Trying Night Morning Painting Materials Summer Horse Green Size Eight Glad Nine Clock Sufficient Gates Cows Canvas Showers July Dew August Collars Carts Donkey Foreground Stoke

Author:John Constable

“We must bear in recollection that the sentiment of the picture is that of solemnity, not gaiety & nothing garish, but the contrary - yet it must be bright, clear, alive fresh, and all the front seen.”

Clear Alive Fronts Bears Contrary Sentiments Recollection Solemnity Gaiety

Book:John Constable's Correspondence

Source: John Constable's Correspondence

“I have a rigid self-accountability. You have to work hard.”

Self Hard Hard Work Accountability

Author:Elizabeth Gilbert

“Only think that I am now writing in a room full of Claudes... almost of the summit of my earthly ambitions.”

Thinking Writing Rooms Ambition Summit

Book:Correspondence

Source: Correspondence

“It is much to my advantage that several of my pictures should be seen together, as it displays to advantage their varieties of conception and also of execution, and what they gain by the mellowing hand of time which should never be forced or anticipated. Thus my pictures when first coming forth have a comparative harshness which at the time acts to my disadvantage.”

Should Firsts Hands Together Gains Advantage Variety Conception Display Execution Disadvantages Harshness

Book:Correspondence

Source: Correspondence

“I have likewise made many 'skies' and effects - for I wish it could be said of me as Fuselli says of Rembrandt, 'he followed nature in her calmest abodes and could pluck a flower on every hedge - yet he was born to cast a steadfast eye on the bolder phenomena of nature'... We have had noble clouds & effects of light & dark & color.”

Made Said Light Eye Wish Born Dark Sky Effects Color Flower Clouds Casts Noble Steadfast Pluck Abode Light Dark Dark Colors

Book:John Constable's Correspondence

Source: John Constable's Correspondence

“Constable himself knew the value of such studies, for he rarely parted with them. He used to say of his studies and pictures that he had no objection to part with the corn, but not with the field that grew it.”

Used Values Study Fields Grew Corn Objections

Author:John Constable

“No man who can do any one thing well will be able to any different thing equally well.”

Men Wells Different Able Can Do One Thing Different Things

Author:John Constable

“My art flatters nobody by imitation, it courts nobody by smoothness, nobody by petitelieness without either fal-de-lal or fiddle-de-dee; how then can I hope to be popular?”

Art Court Imitation Fiddle

Author:John Constable