\n John Constable may have been raised in Suffolk but he lived and worked in Hampstead for almost 20 years.\n<\/p>\n
\n He painted many large canvases at his studio in Well Walk and took his sketch book out almost daily to capture the skies over Hampstead Heath – including his favourite spot Branch Hill Pond.\n<\/p>\n
\n John Constable lived in Well Walk Hampstead. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)\n<\/p>\n
\n A new exhibition has just opened at Burgh House in Hampstead to mark the 250th anniversary of the artist\u2019s birth.\n<\/p>\n
\n It explores his deep creative connection to Hampstead Heath and the surrounding area and delves into a pivotal period in Constable\u2019s life, bringing together rare paintings, mezzotints, portraits, and personal letters.\n<\/p>\n
\n Amy Miller, curator of Burgh House in New End, said: “John Constable\u2019s years in Hampstead were among the most creatively rich and emotionally significant of his life.\n<\/p>\n
\n “The Heath offered him both inspiration and solace, shaping some of his most experimental and atmospheric works.\n<\/p>\n
\n Oil study of Hampstead Heath with rainbow (1830) by John Constable is part of the exhibition at Burgh House Hampstead marking the artist’s 250th birthday. (Image: Burgh House)\n<\/p>\n
\n “This exhibition reveals not only Constable\u2019s extraordinary observation of the natural world, but also the deeply personal connections he formed within Hampstead itself.\n<\/p>\n
\n “We are delighted to bring together works and archival material that shed new light on this important chapter of his career.”\n<\/p>\n
\n The Constable family first arrived in Hampstead in 1819, seeking cleaner air for the artist’s wife Maria Bicknell, who was suffering from tuberculosis.\n<\/p>\n
\n Dr Herbert Evans by John Constable. (Image: Burgh House)\n<\/p>\n
\n They eventually settled at 6 Well Walk (now 40 Well Walk), just a short distance from Burgh House.\n<\/p>\n
\n Constable used his time in Hampstead to study the skies and landscape, producing some of his most famous ‘Cloud Studies’ and developing the dramatic cloudscapes that characterised his later work.\n<\/p>\n
\n The exhibition traces his investigations into weather, atmosphere and light, showing how Hampstead influenced his artistic evolution during these years.\n<\/p>\n
\n Among the highlights is an oil study for Hampstead Heath with a Rainbow (c.1830), on loan from a private collection.\n<\/p>\n
\n The painting captures a view of Branch Hill Pond beneath a gathering storm and glowing skies, reflecting the mature style for which Constable became known.\n<\/p>\n
\n Technical analysis of the work revealed an unfinished portrait underneath the scene, believed to depict the artist\u2019s uncle David Pike Watts.\n<\/p>\n
\n The exhibition also explores Constable\u2019s collaboration with printmaker David Lucas, who worked with him between 1830 and 1832 on the celebrated mezzotint series English Landscape Scenery.\n<\/p>\n
\n The tomb of John Constable and his wife Maria in Hampstead Parish churchyard. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)\n<\/p>\n
\n Rare examples from this series are on display, including two recent acquisitions made possible by donations from Burgh House trustee Frances Carey and Henry Gerrish of Gerrish Fine Art.\n<\/p>\n
\n Personal elements of Constable\u2019s time in Hampstead are also featured.\n<\/p>\n
\n Items relating to Dr Herbert Evans, the family physician who cared for Maria during her final illness, include a portrait of Dr Evans\u2019s mother Deborah Mescall Evans, accompanied by a letter about her experience sitting for Constable.\n<\/p>\n
\n Constable remained deeply connected to Hampstead throughout his life, returning for a final visit in 1836 to deliver a lecture on landscape painting at the Assembly Rooms.\n<\/p>\n
\n He died the following year in his London studio and is buried at St John-at-Hampstead alongside his wife and six of their children.\n<\/p>\n
\n Moira Lascelles, director of Burgh House, said: “John Constable\u2019s connection to Hampstead forms an important part of both the artist\u2019s legacy and the area\u2019s cultural history.\n<\/p>\n
\n “We are delighted to mark this major anniversary with an exhibition that brings together rare works, personal stories, and remarkable landscapes, while continuing Burgh House\u2019s mission to celebrate Hampstead\u2019s artistic heritage.”\n<\/p>\n
\n A special talk by assistant curator Helen Woollison will take place at Burgh House on July 30 and will explore Constable\u2019s artistic practice in Hampstead.\n<\/p>\n
\n John Constable in Hampstead runs at Burgh House until September 20.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"John Constable may have been raised in Suffolk but he lived and worked in Hampstead for almost 20…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":487102,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-487101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=487101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/487101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/487102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=487101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=487101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=487101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}