Romantic Landscape Painting : Turner & Constable

Romantic Landscape Painting: Turner & Constable

Introduction

In any consideration of the two major figures of English Romantic Landscape painting, it is interesting to look further in to what kind, if any, personal relationship the two artists shared. I'll begin by saying a few words on this subject. First, while the men were certainly aware of each other their estimations of each other differed greatly. For Turner, Constable and his work were of little or no importance. As far as I know, the only documented one-on-one discussion between the two men occurred on the night Constable was elected into the Royal Academy in 1829. Apart from this, there is no record of Turner's interest in (or lack thereof) in Constable's work. On the other hand, Constable had a great interest in Turner and his art. In Heffernan's words, "Constable saw Turner as Jehovah: to be loved, hated, and feared…Turner's paintings could give him pain as well as pleasure, and sometimes simply repelled him." So it may safely be posited that, while the artists were aware of each other's work, this knowledge did not influence the art of either.

Influences from Home and Abroad

Although Turner and Constable may not have had any influence on each other, the artists who did influence them were oftentimes the same. I will briefly outline the three most notable influences on the two Romantics.

Claude Lorraine (1600-1682); France

Claude Lorraine was a French artist who is well known for his pastoral landscapes. His art was an early influence on both Turner and Constable. The structure of his landscapes is reflected in the later artists, with the emphasis on sky and clouds, and the often-present church or castle dominating the distant horizon. While Turner mo...

... middle of paper ...

...al, and landscape are joined in the most element harmony. His vision is clearly at odds with the apocalyptic tendencies in Turner's canvases. Where Turner depicted a world on the verge of destruction by natural forces more powerful than man, Constable's paintings show his faith that nature holds the key to timeless truths and moral values. Man and nature exist in shimmering unity.

Bibliography

Heffernan, James A. W. The Re-Creation of Landscape: A Study of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Constable, and Turner. Hanover: UP of New England, 1985.

Goldwater, Robert and Marco Treves (Eds.). Artists on Art: from the XIV to the XX Century. New York: Pantheon Books, 1945.

Janson, H. W. and Anthony F. Janson. History of Art, 4th Ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1991.

Rosenblum, Robert and H. W. Janson. 19th-Century Art. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1984.