Constable, John

English artist; one of the greatest landscape painters of the 19th century. He painted scenes of his native Suffolk, including The Haywain (1821; National Gallery, London), as well as castles, cathedrals, landscapes, and coastal scenes in other parts of Britain. Constable inherited the Dutch tradition of sombre realism, in particular the style of Jacob Ruisdael. He aimed to capture the momentary changes of the weather as well as to create monumental images of British scenery, as in The White Horse (1819; Frick Collection, New York) and Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds (1827; Victoria and Albert Museum, London).

Constable's paintings are remarkable for their atmospheric effects and were admired by many French painters, including Eugène Delacroix. Notable are The Leaping Horse (1825; Royal Academy, London); The Cornfield (1826; National Gallery, London); and Dedham Vale (1828; National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh). His many oil sketches are often considered among his best work.