Noon
Medium
Mezzotint; proof before published state
Dimensions
Image: 5 1/2 × 8 5/8 in. (14 × 21.9 cm) Plate: 7 1/2 × 9 15/16 in. (19.1 × 25.2 cm) Sheet: 8 1/2 × 11 11/16 in. (21.6 × 29.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1925
Accession Number
25.51.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
"John Constable's *Noon*, a captivating mezzotint proof created in collaboration with engraver David Lucas in 0, invites visitors to savor the tranquil beauty of the English countryside at midday. Constable, the celebrated Romantic landscape painter known for his luminous skies and heartfelt depictions of nature, provided the original composition, while Lucas masterfully translated it into print. This proof— an early state before the final published version— a rare glimpse into the artistic process, with its rich, velvety tones evoking the soft light and atmospheric depth of Constable's oil sk...
About the Artist
John Constable|David Lucas · 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...