John Constable
English, 1776–1837
Cloud Study
c. 1821–22
Constable completed his cloud studies quickly—often in less than an hour—working outdoors and painting directly on sheets of paper affixed to a board (pinholes are visible in the bottom corners of this sheet). These works gave the artist a greater understanding of how light, shade, and color could be used to represent the sky in various atmospheric conditions. He referred to these studies later, when painting finished landscapes in his studio.
| Medium | oil on cream laid paper, mounted on canvas |
| Dimensions | 10 13/16 × 12 7/8 in. (27.5 × 32.7 cm) Stretcher: 10 7/8 × 13 1/4 in. (27.6 × 33.7 cm) Frame: 14 3/4 × 16 15/16 × 1 3/4 in. (37.5 × 43 × 4.4 cm) |
| Object Number | 2007.8.34 |
| Acquisition | Gift of the Manton Art Foundation in memory of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton, 2007 |
| Status | Off View |
Image Caption
John Constable, Cloud Study, c. 1821–22, oil on cream laid paper, mounted on canvas. Clark Art Institute, gift of the Manton Art Foundation in memory of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton, 2007.8.34
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EUROPEAN PAINTINGS CATALOGUE ENTRY
Provenance
Constable family, by descent, sold to T. Maclean, 1896, as agent for Kay; Arthur Kay (from 1896);¹ H. A. J. Munro of Novar; Capt. Briscoe, Longstowe Hall, sold to Leggatt’s; [Leggatt’s, London, sold to Manton, 2 June 1958]; Sir Edwin A. G. Manton, New York (1958–d. 2005); Manton Family Art Foundation (2005–7, given to the Clark); Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, 2007. 1. The early provenance comes from an inscription on the back of the stretcher which reads: “Study of Sky (from Nature) / by John Constable RA Bought with a sketchbook / (thro T. Maclean) direct from the Constable Family 1896 / Arthur Kay.”
