Late Constable

Towards the end of his career, John Constable’s brushwork became increasingly free and expressive. This exhibition explores the artist’s late work including paintings as well as watercolours, drawings and prints.

John Constable is one of Britain’s best-known artists: a graduate of the RA Schools and a regular exhibitor at the Summer Exhibition, his ascent to fame is closely tied with the history of the RA. Yet, until now, the RA has never staged a major retrospective of his work, nor has his late career been the focus of exhibitions both at home or abroad.

This exhibition – which spans from 1825 until the artist’s unexpected death in 1837 – explores Constable’s late style through his paintings and oil sketches as well as watercolours, drawings and prints.

Constable’s late career is characterised by his expressive brushwork, first developed in his plein air oil sketches from nature as well as his full-size preparatory sketches. He also turned to watercolour with an enthusiasm missing since the early 1800s, and some of his late drawings show the same freedom of expression as his paintings from the same period.

It was also late in life that Constable explored the possibilities of printmaking, working on a series of mezzotints designed to promote his use of light and shade, which had become a powerful vehicle of expression in his later work.

This exhibition will offer insight into Constable’s late work, which until now, has not been examined in detail despite being noteworthy for its skill and style.