A Study of the Sky
John Constable·c. 1807
Historical Context
A Study of the Sky, painted around 1807 and held at the University of Dundee, is a very early sky study that anticipates the systematic cloud observations Constable would undertake on Hampstead Heath fifteen years later. Even at this early date, Constable was drawn to the sky as a subject worthy of independent study. The painting’s modest scale and unpretentious technique suggest it was a private exercise rather than an exhibition work. The Dundee holding represents the dispersal of Constable’s studies through British university and regional collections.
Technical Analysis
The study captures cloud formations with rapid, assured brushwork, recording specific atmospheric conditions with scientific precision while maintaining painterly freedom and freshness.
Look Closer
- ◆Look at the cloud formations themselves — Constable renders specific cloud types with scientific accuracy, his early sky studies showing the empirical method he developed before his systematic Hampstead cloud studies.
- ◆Notice the light and shadow on the cloud surfaces — Constable models his clouds three-dimensionally, using warm light on the lit faces and cool shadow beneath, giving them the volumetric presence of solid forms.
- ◆Observe the blue sky visible between the clouds — Constable renders the specific shade of English sky visible in gaps between cumulus, using this as context for the clouds' tonal values.
- ◆Find any hint of landscape at the canvas edge — even pure cloud studies often include a strip of ground at the bottom, giving the sky its spatial context and indicating the viewpoint.
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