England's Constable

This illustrated life of the painter John Constable is built largely from his letters, with connecting narrative by Darracott. It follows Constable from Suffolk and his early struggles for recognition, through his marriage, the large six-foot landscapes of the Stour valley, and his later years in London and Hampstead. The letters discuss pictures, patrons, money, weather, and family. Reproductions of paintings and sketches sit beside the text. The book is a documentary portrait of an English landscape painter's working life, not a catalogue of every canvas, and it lets Constable's own voice carry much of the account.

Bound in grey-brown cloth, cover-label printed in brown. Pale yellow flecked endleaves. Picture slipcase. The Presentation Volume for 1986.