This Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows is a rediscovered preparatory work for one of John Constable’s most celebrated masterpieces, now in the Tate, London.
Having established the ideal viewpoint for his composition, Constable then needed to decide the exact viewing distance for the composition for it, that is to work out much of the picture space might be taken up by the cathedral itself, with its striking silhouette, and how much by the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, given that by August he had settled on presenting the cathedral under stormy conditions, or ‘under a cloud’ as Fisher described it, Constable also needed to consider the balance of light and shade. Altogether there are eight directly related preparatory sketches for the final painting, three in pencil, and five in oils.
[Sotheby’s, New York - Oil on canvas, 45.7 x 61 cm]