Cloud Study: Stormy Sunset
John Constable·1821-1822
Historical Context
Cloud Study: Stormy Sunset, painted in 1821–1822, belongs to Constable’s remarkable series of cloud studies executed on Hampstead Heath. Between 1821 and 1822, Constable produced approximately fifty cloud studies, working rapidly in oil on paper to capture the transient effects of light, color, and atmospheric moisture. He was influenced by Luke Howard’s scientific classification of cloud types and sought to bring equal rigor to his artistic observations. These studies were revolutionary in treating the sky as a subject worthy of independent artistic attention, rather than merely a backdrop for landscape compositions. Constable described the sky as the "key note" and "chief organ of sentiment" in landscape painting.
Technical Analysis
Painted rapidly on paper laid on canvas, the study captures a dramatic sunset with rich warm tones built up in bold, sweeping strokes. The paint is applied wet-into-wet to convey the ephemeral quality of rapidly changing cloud formations.
Look Closer
- ◆The stormy sunset is rendered with dramatic contrasts between dark cloud masses and brilliant passages of orange and gold light
- ◆Constable inscribed meteorological observations on the reverse, documenting wind direction and cloud types with scientific precision
- ◆The study's rapid execution captures the fleeting atmospheric effect that would be impossible to paint from memory
- ◆The palette knife work in the sky creates ridges and textures that physically embody the turbulent atmosphere
Condition & Conservation
This cloud study is in the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Part of Constable's systematic campaign of sky studies from 1821-1822, when he made dozens of observations from Hampstead Heath. The small oil on paper has been mounted and stabilized. The bold impasto of the sunset effects is well-preserved. Constable's inscriptions on the verso have been documented and preserved as important art-historical evidence.
Provenance
The artist's granddaughter, Ella Nafeeseh Constable Mackinnon [1865-1934, Mrs. Ivan Mackinnon]; Sir Henry Newson-Smith [1854-1898];[1] by inheritance to his son, Sir Frank Newson-Smith, 1st baronet [1879-1971], London; (his sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 26 January 1951, no. 31, as _A Stormy Sunset_); (Leggatt Gallery, London).[2] (Thomas Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London); private collection; (Salander O'Reilly Galleries, New York); purchased 23 February 1998 by NGA. [1] According to the R.B. Beckett Papers in the Tate Archive (uncatalogued as of August 2019), Mrs. Mackinnon sold a group of works by her grandfather through the dealer Leggatt in the 1890s to Newson-Smith; see Tate Britain's catalogue entry for a pencil drawing by the artist's son, Lionel Bicknell Constable: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/constable-near-stoke-by-nayland-t01258 (accessed 3 September 2019). Newson-Smith also purchased Mrs. Mackinnon's house in Ramsgate, England, and works by Constable were found there. [2] Leggatt is recorded as the buyer in an annotated copy of the auction catalogue in the NGA Library; copy in NGA curatorial files.
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