Why Constable Didn't Give Up Figure Painting

The Courtauld is hosting a lecture on John Constable on Tuesday 3 November, titled Why Constable Didn't Give Up Figure Painting. It runs from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at their Vernon Square site in Farringdon, and it's free, though you'll need to book a place in advance.

Most of us know Constable for his landscapes — the sweeping skies and the damp, green English countryside that's become his shorthand. This talk looks at a different side of his work from the 1830s: his figure drawing and painting. It's a less well-known part of his artistic life, and the lecture focuses on why he kept at it when he'd already made his name with the scenery.

A good chunk of that comes down to his time as a visitor to the Royal Academy's life drawing class. He spent years going back to the basics, sketching from live models and working on the human form, even as his reputation as a landscape painter grew. The talk looks at that period and the work that came out of it, so it's a bit of a shift in focus from the clouds and the riverbanks you'd expect from him.

If you've spent any time with his landscapes and wondered what else he was up to, this is a good way in. It's a free session, so it's easy to drop into if you're around Farringdon on a Tuesday evening. Just remember to book ahead, as they do run on a booking-essential basis. 6:00pm to 7:30pm at The Courtauld, Vernon Square.