Drawing the landscape

The landscape paintings by John Constable depict the picturesque region surrounding the Stour Valley on the Essex/Suffolk border. By concentrating on the characteristics of the region and understanding the elements of land, sky and water that impact on the landscape, Constable gained an intimate knowledge of the region. This deep understanding of the landscape and a particular technique meant Constable was successful in capturing a sense of ‘place’.  

The drawing of the backwaters describes a place and its form, atmosphere and texture that are otherwise ignored in conventional cartographic maps. The infinite sense of landscape is created by the horizon line and the sense of time and scale.