John Constable, R.A. 1776-1837

Constable, unlike most of his contemporaries, did not often make sketching tours although he did travel to Derbyshire in 1801.  He stayed with his friend Daniel Whalley and his family at Fenton near Stoke-on-Trent from the end of July until mid November.  Joseph Farington records meeting the two men at Dove Dale on Wednesday 19th August  and wrote; 'At 9 o'clock we entered Dovedale, I made a sketch of the first appearance of the entrance, and while I was so employed Mr Constable came up to me, He having come a 2nd time to make studies here.  He was accompanied by a Mr Whaley, who lives near Newcastle in Staffordshire'  (see: The Diary of Joseph Farington, Kenneth Garlick & Angus MacIntyre, eds., 1979, vol.v). 

Drawings from Constable's trip to Derbyshire in 1801 rarely come on the market and the present work is previously unrecorded.  A drawing by Constable of Dove Dale, Derbyshire, drawn on the same day as the present work, was sold at Christie's on 12th July 1988, lot 2 (£6,500).  Another drawing of Dove Dale, also dated August 19th, was sold in these Rooms on 16th November 1989, lot 21 for £5,500.  Other drawings from this trip are in the Victoria and Albert Museum (see Graham Reynolds, Catalogue of the Constable Collection, 1960, nos.21-32)