Cloud Study
John Constable
1822
Constable’s cloud studies are among his most beloved works. In September 1820, he began these open-air sketches of the changing skies above Hampstead, London. Despite their small scale, they are remarkably immersive, pulling the viewer into the world above. His close observation approached scientific inquiry: he often recorded the date, time, and changing weather conditions on paper, now affixed to the back of the painting. Constable painted with both remarkable speed and great precision. He noted that he made “about 50 carefull studies of skies”in the summer of 1822 alone.
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · Image: Yale Center for British Art, Public domain · Text: Yale Center for British Art, CC0