John Constable, R.A.

Possibly Captain Charles Golding Constable (1821-1879) the artist's son and by descent to his daughter Mrs Ella Mackinnon, whose home in Ramsgate was purchased by Sir Henry Newson-Smith (1854-1898); by descent to his son Sir Frank Newson-Smith (1879-1971);
Newson-Smith Collection, London Christie's, 26th January 1951, part of lot 16 (bt.  Agnew's London);
with Agnews (no. 14478 stock, no. J0435) by whom sold to Lewis Douglas by 19th July 1951;
by descent

STRUCTURE The structure of the painting is flat, stable and secure. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be very good condition, with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. There is a good impasto in the clouds and the painting would appear to be in original condition. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals a very small number of incredibly minor spots of retouching, to one or two areas of the painting, however there does not appear to be any restoration to major damage or paint loss. FRAME Held in a gilded, ne-classical style wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Emmeline Hallmark on 44 (0)207 293 5407, or at emmeline.hallmark@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This work was painted at a time when Constable was creating arguably the most astonishingly sensitive studies of clouds an artist has ever produced. During the summer and autumn of 1821 and 1822 Constable made a concerted effort to paint studies of clouds. In 1821 he wrote to his great friend the Rev. John Fisher, 'I have done a good deal of skying - I am determimined to conquer all difficulties... That landscape painter who does not make skies a very material part of the composition - neglects to avail himself of one of his greatest aids.'

Constable undoubtedly had a practical knowledge of meteorology which dated from his early days as a miller's son; when work took place depending entirely upon the weather conditions. Later in life when living in Hampstead during 1821 and 1822 Constable continued his fascination with this most ephemeral of subjects. Whilst his fascination was certainly emotional as well as highly personal (his cloud studies were works in their own right and not used for any finished or exhibited pictures), it was also based upon scientific study. Constable owned and studied Thomas Forster's Researches About Atmospheric Phenomenon, which had been published in London 1813. 

The present work is similar in style and technical handling (but on a smaller scale) to the Cloud Study in the Paul Mellon Centre, Yale (9 3/4  x 11 7/8 in. Reynolds, lit.op.cit, 21.57).

We are grateful to Graham Reynolds, Peter Bower, Sara Cove and others for confirming the attribution of this work.