21-08 Romanticism - John Constable

An overview of the life and works of John Constable. He is such a well-known artist that we forgot how controversial he was when he first exhibited his work. The naturalism and energy of the surface divided opinion in Britain but was revolutionary in France where 'The Hay Wain' was awarded a gold medal. It can be argued that Constable's approach freed artists from the stultifying conventions of the Old Masters.