Van Gogh, Degas, Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec – show time for masters of Impressionism in London
Estelle Lovatt, art critic: “So this exhibition is really special because what it’s doing is it’s telling us new things about the Impressionists and the Post-impressionists, such as the fact that new materials were being made, so we’ve got new ways of making pastel and watercolour and paper. So everything’s transportable, which of course makes it easier for the artist to go outside and work en plein air, on the spot.”
New exhibition at the National Gallery plus Walk Constable’s Hampstead with art historian Estelle Lovatt.
As part of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebrations, Discover Constable & The Hay Wain, 17 October to 2 February, 2025, will focuss on and explore John Constable’s lush green masterpiece, The Hay Wain, painted in 1821.
This exhibition will look at how the great Romantic Realist artist’s perspective of the English landscape reformed itself from social, political and physical assessment and how much the Old Masters were a huge influence from Michelangelo to Ruisdael, Rubens, van Goyen and Claude. Artworks by William Blake, George Morland and John Linnell will also be included.
The exhibition
National Gallery, London, Sunley Room
17 October 2024 – 2 February 2025
Admission free
Walk in Constable’s footsteps with Estelle Lovatt
Enjoy an opportunity to walk in Constable’s footsteps as Estelle Lovatt FRSA, art historian, art critic, and professional artists’ mentor, hosts guided walking tours, taking you to where Constable painted his masterpieces in London.
This, is a great complimentary event to the National Gallery’s exhibition, Discover Constable and The Hay Wain, as Estelle follows the great Romantic painter’s late life, to see where he lived, painted, sketched, worked and loved in Hampstead, London NW3.
The walks take place throughout the year. Details and tickets are available on Estelle’s Eventbrite page, Walk Constable’s Hampstead,
Constable painted his masterpiece, The Hay Wain, from drawings and studies he’d sketched over at least a twenty year period, en plein air, in Suffolk. But even after his move, from here to London, when he studied at the Royal Academy, Constable often returned to the landscape of his youth to sketch his beloved countryside. Capturing and documenting the fleeting momentary weather effects pass amidst transitory effects of daylight, all naturally occurring.
He finished The Hay Wain in his London studio – the backyard shed in the garden of his Hampstead, London NW3, home.
This magnificent “six footer” painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy, the same year it was painted, in 1821. Géricault and Delacroix admired it and, although it was quite favourably welcomed by critics saying, it ”approaches nearer to the actual look of rural nature than any modern landscape whatever”, it failed to sell.
The popularity of Constable’s work
Constable’s pictures – exceedingly popular today – were not well received in his lifetime, here, in England. But he inspired contemporary French artists from the Barbizon School and Romantic movement. As he gained significant success in France, The Hay Wain got phenomenal approval and praise when it was exhibited at the Paris Salon, and received a gold medal from the King of France, in 1824.
Nowadays, it’s considered a very lovely, traditional, image of the verdant pastoral English countryside. Even Banksy has interpreted it!
Evoking the calm rustle of being outdoors in nature by Willy Lott’s farmhouse along the River Stour, Constable developed full-sized oil paint sketches to enable him to resolve the pictorial composition.
His sketched studies, alla prima, are much admired. However, early 19th-century gallery-goers found them far too slapdash, radically expressionistic and unfathomably impressionistic, in interpreting the landscape. Today, we value these studies on paper as fascinating and insightful, pre-empting the artist’s working practice. And if Constable felt like it, he’d have no problem adding an invented rainbow – or two, designing elm trees taller than fact, or superficially brightening a horse’s red harness or boy’s waistcoat to best complement the star, principal colour, green.
The scene is about a mile from where Constable was born and spent his childhood, in East Bergholt. The place where, as Constable sympathetically wrote, he valued “The sound of water escaping from Mill dams, elms and willows, old rotten banks, slimy posts & brickwork. I love such things.”
‘Constable’s Hampstead’ Walk & Talk Tour with art historian and art critic Estelle Lovatt FRSA.
Walk in Constable’s footsteps to see where he lived, worked and painted his great iconic landscape masterpieces on the Heath, Hampstead, and around the NW3 London village, finishing at his family tomb in the church.
Estelle speaks to you, describing the story of Constable’s life, his parents, family, wife and children. His dislike of Turner and relationship with the Royal Academy. Painting ‘en plein air’ and ‘alla prima’, British Romanticism, Dutch Golden Age influences, inspiring future French Impressionism. Bringing alive everything you wanted to know about Constable, and how he painted nature, the best clouds, rays of sunshine & double rainbows in art history.
And if you want to draw where Constable sketched, bring your sketch pad and pencil!
Delighted to be collaborating with artist Fiona Wilson and inviting artists to join us for 2 hour Zoom Live Session on August 31st, 2021,7-9pm.
The Format
The sessions take place on Zoom and we open with a series of quick exercises of 5-10 minutes before moving onto 2 x 30 minute longer poses. The session closes with an opportunity to share your work and ask any questions you may have.
Upon booking you will receive an email with instructions of how to join us on the evening, and a reminder will be sent 2 hours before we start. Please ensure you have Zoom installed, arrive at 6.50pm for a prompt 7pm start and have your camera turned.
This is an adult class with 16-18 year olds welcome at parents’ discretion.
Recording, photographing and screen grabbing are strictly forbidden.
Materials Guide
We would suggest bringing basic drawing material including sheets of paper and/or a sketchbook, pencils, charcoal, pastels, paints or inks but please feel free to use any mediums you choose
Delighted to be collaborating with artist Fiona Wilson and inviting artists to join us for 2 hour Mother and Baby Life Drawing sessions on Tuesday 24 August, Tuesday 21 September and Tuesday 19 October 2021. You can choose to attend one session or join us and document Ruby as she changes and grows across all 3.
I will introduce the session with references to mother and baby in an art history context and provide tips and snippets of wisdom throughout to aid your approach.
The Format
The sessions take place on Zoom and we open with a series of quick exercises of 5-10 minutes before moving onto 2 x 30 minute longer poses after a short break. The session closes with an opportunity to share your work and ask Estelle any questions you may have.
Upon booking you will receive an email receipt. Instructions of how to join us on the evening will be emailed to you a week before the class and a reminder will be sent 2 hours before we start. Please ensure you have Zoom installed, arrive at 6.50pm for a prompt 7pm start and have your camera turned.
This is an adult class with 16-18 year olds welcome at parents’ discretion.
Recording, photographing and screen grabbing are strictly forbidden.
Materials Guide
We would suggest bringing basic drawing material including sheets of paper and/or a sketchbook, pencils, charcoal, pastels, paints or inks but please feel free to use any mediums you choose
Estelle Lovatt 