Tag: england

Wivenhoe Park, Essex by John Constable

Painting of an English landscape on a summer day
John Constable (British, 1776 – 1837), Wivenhoe Park, Essex, 1816, oil on canvas, Widener Collection 1942.9.10

John Constable painted this bucolic landscape for Major General Francis Slater–Rebow but it’s not what it appears to be! We’ll talk about the headaches caused by an overeager client and what one of those cows is hiding.  We’ll also see how Constable used a technique to conjure up distant figures, just like Camille Pissarro did decades later.

And we’ll find out how Constable’s cheapness and cold feet nearly cost him the love of his life!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.8MB)

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SHOW NOTES (TRANSCRIPT)

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas

Episode theme is “Piano Sonata no. 11, K. 331 – I. Andante grazioso” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Courtesy of musopen.org.

Wivenhoe Park, Essex info
https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights/constable-wivenhoe-park-essex.html

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.1147.html

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.1147.html#relatedpages

British Paintings of the Sixteenth through Nineteenth Centuries (PDF)

Constable info
John Constable (Masters of Art Series) by John Walker (Amazon)

Slow Art Day

Daniel in the Lions’ Den by Sir Peter Paul Rubens

Painting showing Daniel in a cave surrounded by lions.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577 – 1640 ), Daniel in the Lions’ Den, c. 1614/1616, oil on canvas, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund

So who’s this big naked guy sitting around with a bunch of lions? Meet Daniel, a favorite counselor to the Persian king Darius. Daniel has made some powerful enemies which is how he got here. We’ll find out who ends up being the lions’ breakfast and how paintings like this allowed Rubens to become a successful diplomat.

We’ll also hear about how a painting the owners thought was just a copy and maintenance headache became one of the most highly praised pieces in the Gallery’s collection.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.4MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS

SHOW NOTES

“A Long Look” theme is “Ascension” by Ron Gelinas

Episode theme is Fugue in G minor, “Little”, BWV 578, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of musopen.org

Sir Peter Paul Rubens information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1847.html

Daniel in the Lions’ Den information
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.50298.html#overview

National Zoo Lion Cam

Reviewing Committee information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reviewing_Committee_on_the_Export_of_Works_of_Art

Slow Art Day

Recommended Reading

Master of Shadows: The Secret Diplomatic Career of the Painter Peter Paul Rubens by Mark Lamster