The Cornfield
The Cornfield is an oil-on-canvas painting by the English artist John Constable. It was finished in 1826. It measures 143 by 122 cm and hangs in the National Gallery in London.
| The Cornfield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | John Constable |
| Year | 1826 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 143 cm × 122 cm (56 in × 48 in) |
| Location | National Gallery, London |
Constable referred to the painting as The Drinking Boy. It shows a lane leading from East Bergholt towards Dedham, Essex.[1] The lane is called Fen Lane and Constable often walked it as a boy to get to and from school.[2]
The painting was originally planned as a pendant to The Lock.[3]
The Cornfield was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1826 under the title ‘Landscape’.[4] The following September it was sent to the Paris Salon[5]. It was eventually purchased by The Committee of Friends and Admirers and presented to the National Gallery in 1837, making it the first work by Constable to enter the national collection.[6]
References
- Richens, R. H., Elm (Cambridge 1983), p.166
- Reynolds 1983, p. 76
- Reynolds 1983, p. 76
- National Gallery: The Cornfield
- Charles 2015, p. 78
- National Gallery: The Cornfield
External links
- Constable's England, a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- National Gallery page
Bibliography
- Reynolds, Graham (1983), Constable's England, New York, NY: Metropolitan Museum of Art, ISBN 9780870993350
- Charles, Victoria (2015), Constable, New York: Parkstone International, ISBN 978-1-78042-954-0