John Constable
English, 1776–1837
Bow Fell, Cumberland
1807
Constable visited the Lake District for two months in 1806 on a tour sponsored by his uncle. This picture was painted in the artist’s studio later, from sketches made on the spot (one of which—the watercolor Bow Fell and Langdale Pikes—is also in the Clark’s collection. The same view appears in both works, although the watercolor features earthy brown tones rather than the greens and blues in the oil painting, with its more dramatic sky.
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 8 1/16 x 10 in. (20.4 x 25.4 cm) |
| Object Number | 2007.8.16 |
| Acquisition | Gift of the Manton Art Foundation in memory of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton, 2007 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
John Constable, Bow Fell, Cumberland, 1807, oil on canvas. Clark Art Institute, gift of the Manton Art Foundation in memory of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton, 2007.8.16
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EUROPEAN PAINTINGS CATALOGUE ENTRY
Provenance
The artist (d. 1837); John Hugh Constable, his great-grandson, by descent (d. 1974);¹ Eileen Constable, his widow, by descent (1974–1977); [Spink, London, sold to Manton, 22 Sept. 1977]; Sir Edwin A. G. Manton, New York (1977–d. 2005); Manton Family Art Foundation (2005–2007), given to the Clark, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, 2007. 1. This painting was offered for sale at Sotheby’s, London, 15 June 1960, no. 88, as A Mountain Landscape, but was bought in.
