Stormy Sea, Brighton
John Constable
ca. 1828
In the spring of 1828, the health of Constable’s wife Maria declined rapidly. In a desperate bid for her recovery, Constable took her to Brighton once more, but Maria continued to deteriorate, and the family soon returned to Hampstead. This sketch may be the final painting Constable made at Brighton before their departure. The forceful application of paint with both brush and palette knife seems to reflect the anguish he felt at the time. This memory of the tempestuous sea may have given rise to his next work, Hadleigh Castle, made in the aftermath of Maria’s death onNovember 23, 1828.
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · Image: Yale Center for British Art, Public domain · Text: Yale Center for British Art, CC0