Sketch at Hampstead: stormy sunset

This Hampstead sky sketch from 1820 captures a stormy sunset over the Heath, part of Constable's systematic study of atmospheric phenomena. He made these sketches rapidly, sometimes in under an hour, noting meteorological conditions on the reverse. The stormy sunset provided dramatic contrasts of warm and cool light that fascinated Constable as evidence of nature's sublime power, a Romantic sensibility he shared with Turner though expressed through direct observation.

Rapid execution captures the fleeting sunset with bold strokes of warm oranges and reds against cooler violet-gray storm clouds. The paint is applied thickly and confidently, wet-into-wet, preserving the urgency of the momentary observation.

This Hampstead sunset sketch from 1820 is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It predates Constable's more systematic sky-study campaign of 1821-1822 but shares the same approach of recording specific atmospheric conditions. The small oil sketch has been stabilized. The bold colors of the sunset are well-preserved. The work retains its spontaneous, observational character.