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Study pack and September 2016 teacher notes until March 2017 Constable in Context: Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows in perspective ## The Salisbury The Salisbury Museum Museum The King’s House The King’s House 65 The Close 65 The Close Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows Salisbury 1831 Salisbury SP1 2EN John Constable (1776-1837) SP1 2EN © Tate, London 2013 01722 332151 Purchased with assistance from the 01722 332151 Heritage Lottery Fund, The Manton The Salisbury Museum is an Foundation, Art Fund (with a contribution The Salisbury Museum is an independent charity 289850 from the Wolfson Foundation) and Tate independent charity 289850 Members Constable in Context: Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows in perspective Introduction to the exhibition: Today, John Constable (1776-1837) is recognised as being one of the most important of all British artists, someone who changed landscape painting but perhaps more importantly, how we all look at the English countryside. Constable produced more paintings and drawings of Salisbury than of any other area, apart from the Stour Valley, where he grew up. The Salisbury Cathedral in particular, has been a frequent subject of sketches, paintings and drawings by artists before, during and after Constable’s time. This exhibition shows how Salisbury Cathedral has been depicted in art for over 300 years. It charts a shift from the detailed architectural studies of the building in the 17th century to the landscape views of the 21st century. What is revealed is the enormous impact that Constable’s painting had on depicting the Cathedral and the water meadows, inspiring artists all over the world. This study pack details four important compositions from the exhibition by different artists using talking points designed around Rod Taylor’s “Content, form, process, mood” model. The pack also suggests various activities to do in conjunction with the respective works. Workshops for schools We are offering interesting and exciting hands-on workshops in conjunction with this exhibition. They are useful for most levels (year 5/6, Key stage 3, GCSE/A level). Workshop topics, inspired by Constable include: Studying methods of composition Inspiration from artists and your locality Aerial perspective Colour mixing theory and practice Creating depth in a painting When you book a workshop you will have full access to Constable in Context: Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows in perspective, including an opportunity to draw whilst in the exhibition. Sessions also include a PowerPoint with explanations of the area of study, demonstrations from a professional artist, a chance to produce sketches or small paintings to be developed later on at home or at school, and inspiration that will last long after your visit. Workshops can be booked throughout the exhibition (subject to availability of facilities), as well as all week from Monday 31st October - Friday 4th November 2016 and Monday 23rd January - Friday 27th January 2017. Aspire In 2013 Constable’s Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831 was secured for the British public through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Art Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation), The Manton Foundation and Tate Members. The acquisition was part of a ground-breaking new partnership, Aspire, between five national and regional galleries: Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales The National Galleries of Scotland Colchester and Ipswich Museums The Salisbury Museum Tate Britain Aspire is a partnership programme enabling audiences of all ages to enjoy and learn more about the work of John Constable by touring Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831 across the UK. Aspire is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Art Fund. Each partner will display the work in the context of their collection, accompanied by an inspiring programme of activities enabling audiences of all ages to enjoy and learn more about the work of John Constable. Additional useful Links: Tate Online Learning Resource ‘In depth: Constable’s Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831’: www.tate.org.uk/aspire Audio Description of Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831: http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/audio/audio-description-constables- salisbury-cathedral-meadows-1831 Aspire: National Network for Constable Studies: http://www.tate.org.uk/about/our- work/national-partnerships/collaborative-projects/aspire John Constable Background John Constable was born in Suffolk in 1776. His first short visit to Salisbury was in 1811, where he stayed with Bishop Fisher and his family. It was here that he would meet the Bishop’s nephew, Archdeacon John Fisher, with whom he would strike up many years of friendship. Constable visited the city a total of seven times over a period of 18 years. His visits to this area, and his friendship with the Fishers, were of great significance to him. In 1816, Constable married his long term love Maria Bicknell. The couple would go on to have seven children together. In November 1828, the same year as their seventh child was born, Maria died of tuberculosis. His wife’s death had a huge effect on Constable. Indeed, his later works after Maria’s passing, including Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831, had more of an unsettled nature about them, which has often been attributed to Constable’s mourning and altered perspective on life. After Maria’s death, Constable found solace in his friendship with the Fishers. He visited them in Salisbury in 1829, where he worked on his sketch for what would be Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows. The completed oil painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1831, and was the last of the sequence of monumental (‘six- footer’) canvases which had begun in 1819 with The White Horse. Archdeacon Fisher died the following year and Constable never returned to Salisbury. However the artist continued to exhibit his work up until his death in April 1837. Technique Constable’s mark-making technique was considered somewhat revolutionary; using a palette knife and brushes to create textured and expressive surfaces. At a time when paintings were expected to have smooth surfaces, Constable’s work often drew heavy criticism from contemporaries. Legacy Constable’s compositions inspired many artists from the 19th century to the present day. The mezzotints by David Lucas were greatly influential in popularising Constable’s work during the 19th and early 20th century. Constable’s emotional landscapes, alongside contemporaries such as J M W Turner, aided in altering the status of landscape painting, which at the time had been considered a lowly subject matter. Constable’s frequent use of Salisbury as a subject for his work furthermore encouraged many artists to produce views of the Cathedral, the city, and the surrounding area. Many of the works inspired by Constable and David Lucas are shown in the final room of the exhibition. Constable played a large part in shaping what we now consider to be quintessential English countryside. Much of the landscape depicted in Constable’s views of Salisbury remains untouched, partially due to the influence of his work, and those that followed. North-West View of the Salisbury Cathedral and Bell Tower, 1671 Illustration for 'Monasticon Anglicanum' by William Dugdale, etching by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) Etching The Salisbury Museum This etching is full of detail, accurately North-West View of the Salisbury depicting the architecture of the Cathedral and Bell Tower, 1671 Cathedral. It serves to illustrate how Illustration for 'Monasticon Anglicanum' the Cathedral looked during the mid to by William Dugdale, etching by late 1600s. Figures can be seen in Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) front of the Cathedral, providing a Etching scale for the size of the building. The Salisbury Museum This style of architectural This is one of three etchings by documentation was common in the Wenceslaus Hollar on display in the 17th and early 18th century, and can be exhibition. They are some of the seen mirrored in nearly all of the works earliest known prints of the Cathedral. within this room. One of the notable exceptions to this however, is the work Present within this etching is the of Flemish artist Hendrik de Cort. Cathedral’s medieval Bell Tower. The upper part of the tower was Talking points demolished in 1758 and the rest was Content: Study the print. What do subsequently pulled down by architect you think are the most and least James Wyatt during his remodelling of dominant features within it? Why do the building between 1789 and 1792. you think the artist chose to do this? Wyatt’s work to both the outside and interior of the Cathedral was Form: Look at the sky in this print controversial at the time, although the and in other works in the room. What external appearance of the building do you notice about them? Do they tell has been altered very little since. you much about the type of weather Conversely, the architect’s changes to occurring when these drawing were the interior, including the removal of made? many of the medieval features, the movement of monuments and building Process: What skills must the artist of a new screen, were not so have required to produce this work? longstanding. Mood: Does this etching make you Wenceslaus Hollar was born in Prague feel anything when you study it? in 1607 and came to England in 1637 Remember your answer and compare to take up employment with the Earl of it to how compositions in the next two Arundel. He was well known for rooms make you feel. producing views of landscapes and buildings as well as portraits and still Activities life in many different forms. Although Pick one of your favourite buildings Hollar was very talented, he was and draw a detailed section of it, financially poor during his later life and focusing on its architecture.