The Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent presents “John Constable: Oil Sketches from the Victoria and Albert Museum” an exhibitionon view through January 29th 2012.
John Constable, Study of Cirrus Clouds, ca. 1821-1822, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
This exhibition provides a unique insight into the painter’s method based on masterpieces from the renowned Constable collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The presentation underscores this artist’s historical relevance and his enduring influence. The highlights of the exhibition are two large oil sketches which Constable painted for “The Hay Wain” and “The Leaping Horse”, two of his most renowned works. These full-scale drawings are as large as their finished counterparts and are unique in the history of art. These prestigious works from the V&A’s collection were especially restored for this exhibition. They will be counterposed with a finished painting by Constable, a special group of smaller oil sketches and a wonderful series of his watercolours and drawings from the Victoria and Albert collection.
John Constable (1776-1837) was the father of modern landscape painting. Constable was an innovator who revamped the academic styles by choosing to work directly from nature and developing a direct painting technique. His influence extended to the French Impressionists.
The exhibition will travel to Tallinn’s Kumu Art Museum, the Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart and the MSK in Ghent. Then it will cross the Atlantic to travel the United States. – ww.mskgent.be