Painter in Focus: John Constable
When presented with all of the painters of the Romantic Era, there was perhaps no other artist during the 19th century that so effectively idealized rural and medieval life through his paintings than John Constable (1776-1837). As a political conservative and staunch opponent of liberal reformation, Constable used many of his works to emphasize the picturesque and sublime characteristics of the Middle Ages, a time characterized by political stability and religious loyalty. In such paintings as Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1831), Constable uses such symbols as towering cathedrals to represent the grandeur of traditional Christianity and its intimate relationship with nature. In addition to romanticizing the Medieval Ages and traditional religious institutions, Constable was also famous for his portrayal of rural life in England, drawing heavily off of his own experiences of country life. Such works as Dedham Vale (1802) and Mill at Gillingham, Dorset (1825-26) beautifully illustrate the majesty and serenity of farm life, and often stand opposed to the growing urbanization and commercialization of England during the 1800's.