John Constable (June 11, 1776 – March 31, 1837) was born in East Bergholt, a village on the River Stour in Suffolk, England. He became a great landscape painter although he only sold twenty paintings in England during his lifetime and was not elected to the RA until he was 52, just 8 years before his death. His work was more appreciated in France and his famous Hay Wain painting was shown in the Salon, Paris in 1824.
The area of Dedham Vale in Suffolk is known as 'Constable Country'. Flatford Mill , the subject of one of his most famous paintings, The Hay Wain, was owned by his father, a brewer who was doing well in trade. Nearby Bridge Cottage is a National Trust property.
John later fell in love with Maria Bicknell, a local girl whose solicitor father was personally acquainted with the king, and who did not consider Constable good enough. After five years, he finally gave his consent to the marriage in 1816. After giving birth to seven children, Maria died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1829, an event which devastated her husband.
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Last updated: 05-21-2005 15:07:14
