Beschreibung:

JOHN CONSTABLE RA (BRITISH 1776-1837) Portrait of a Gentleman, traditionally thought to be Abram Constable of Wormingford Oil on canvas 75 x 63.5cm (29 1/2 x 25in) Provenance: R.B. Beckett (1891-1970), by 1956; thence by descent to the present owner. Exhibited: Manchester, City Art Gallery, John Constable 1776-1837, 1956, no. 11 (loaned by R.B. Beckett) Literature: Robert Hoozee, L'opera completa di Constable, Milano, 1979, cat. no. 49 Graham Reynolds, The Early Paintings and Drawings of John Constable Yale, 1996, no. 09.83, pl. 814, illustrated Painted circa 1809, the sitter in the present portrait has traditionally been identified as Constable’s uncle, Abram Constable (1742-1812), who lived at Wormingford, some ten miles from East Bergholt on the far side of Dedham Vale. R.B. Beckett, identified as Abram Constable in his catalogue entry for the 1956 exhibition at Manchester City Art Gallery. However, a photograph of the painting in the R.B. Beckett archive in the The Huntington Library Art Collections, California is annotated on the reverse with both the name of his uncle Abram and that of his cousin Abram Garrad (1766-1801). In his 1979 catalogue Robert Hoozee titled the work (?)Abram Constable. But Graham Reynolds concurred with Beckett in his scholarly catalogue raisonné of Constable’s early paintings and drawings published in 1996 titling the work Abram Constable of Wormingford. Constable was a naturally private person with a small but intimate social circle of friends and kept a very close relationship with his family. Although Constable is best known for his landscapes he painted almost one hundred portraits during his life. He preferred to paint members of his family or close friends whom he chose to paint, the likenesses of which are the most successful. If he painted a portrait he put a great deal of significance and feeling into the character of the sitter. This comes through very much in his most intimate portraits where the relationship between artist and sitter can be felt. This especially fine portrait of his uncle Abram exudes enormous character. Not at all contrived or formal, there is an honesty and directness that gives the sitter great immediacy and presence. It is believed to date from circa 1809 before his marriage to Maria Bicknell. At this time there was not the financial pressure to support his family and he had time to explore and develop his character as an artist. We are grateful to Peter Bower for his assistance. We would also like to thank Anne Blecksmith, Reader Services, The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California, for her help with researching the documents in the R.B. Beckett archive.