Bust of John Constable, R.A., 1875

Edward Davis (1813 - 1878)

RA Collection: Art

Along with his contemporary J.W.M. Turner, John Constable raised the profile of Landscape painting in Britian at a time when the public and art-establishment preferred portraiture and historical subjects. Constable was a dedicated naturalist. He made hundreds of sketches direct from nature and imbued his studio paintings with a feeling of open-air spontaneity.

This bust was commissioned from Edward Davis by the Royal Academy in 1873 thirty six years after Constable's death.