Blinding of Elymas
c. 1807
Medium
Brush and black and gray wash, over graphite, on cream wove paper
Dimensions
51.6 × 65.9 cm (20 3/8 × 26 in.)
Classification
wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
109149
Art Historical Context
In the early 19th century, John Constable the celebrated English Romantic artist best known for his luminous landscapes of the Suffolk countryside, explored biblical narratives as a young painter honing his skills. *Blinding of Elymas* (c. 1807) depicts a dramatic moment from the New Testament Book of Acts (13:6–12), where the Paul strikes the sorcerermas blind for opposing his preaching to the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus. This large-scale drawing, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, reveals Constable's versatility beyond his iconic oil paintings, showca...
About the Artist
John Constable · 1776–1837
John Constable (1776-1837) was an English landscape painter whose naturalistic depictions of the Suffolk countryside revolutionized landscape painting and established him, alongside J.M.W. Turner, as one of England's greatest artists. His work pioneered the direct observation of nature that would later influence the French Barbizon school and, ultimately, Impressionism. Born in East Bergholt, Suf...