Clergyman's

“Because he attempted to tell that which is outside the reach of art... .there are ruins to indicate old age, a stream to signify the course of life, and rocks and precipices to shadow forth its dangers. But how are we to discover all this?”
— John Constable

“I am going on very well with my pictures... the park is the most forward — the great difficulty has been to get so much in as they wanted to make them acquainted with the scene — on my left is a grotto with some elms — at the head of a piece of water — in the center is the house over a beautifull wood and very far to the right is a Deer House — what it was necessary to add. So that my view comprehended to many degrees — but to day I got over the difficulty and I begin to like it 'myself'... I live in the park and Mrs. Rebow says I am very unsociable.”
— John Constable

“When I sit down to make a sketch from nature, the first thing I try to do is to forget that I have ever seen a picture.”
— John Constable

“Our little drawing Room commands a view unequalled in Europe — from Westminster Abbey to Gravesend — the dome of St Paul's in the Air — realizes Michael Angelo's Idea on seeing that of the Pantheon — 'I will build such a thing in the Sky.”
— John Constable

“He seems to paint with tinted steam, so evanescent, and so airy.”
— John Constable

“I have been living a hermit-life, though always with my pencil in my hand.. .How much real delight have I had with the study of landscape this summer! Either I am myself improved in the art of seeing nature, which Sir Joshua call painting, or nature has unveiled her beauties to me less fastidiously. Perhaps there is something of both, so we will divide the compliment.”
— John Constable

“No man who can do any one thing well will be able to any different thing equally well.”
— John Constable

“This appearance of the Evening was... just after a very heavy rain — more rain in the night and very — wind which continued all the — day following while making – this sketch observed the Moon easing – very beautifully... due East over the — heavy clouds from which the late showers – had fallen.”
— John Constable

“I have added some ploughmen to the landscape form the park pales which is a great help, but I must try and warm the picture a little more if I can... but I look to do a great deal better in future. I am determined to finish a small picture in the spot for every one I intend to make in future. But this I have always talked about but never yet done – I think however my mind is more settled and determined than ever on this point.”
— John Constable

“My canvas soothes me into forgetfulness of the scene of turmoil and folly — and worse — of the scene around me. Every gleam of sunshine is blighted to me in the art at least. Can it therefore be wondered at that I paint continual storms? ""Tempest o'er tempest roll'd"" — still the ""darkness"" is majestic.”
— John Constable

“I paint by all the daylight we have and that is little enough, less perhaps than you have by much... imagine to yourself how a purl must look through a burnt glass.”
— John Constable

“My picture is liked at the Academy, indeed it forms a decided feature and its light can not be put out. Because it is the light of nature — the Mother of all that is valuable in poetry — painting or anything else... my execution annoys most of them and all the scholastic ones – perhaps the scarifies I make for 'lightness' and 'brightness' is too much but these things are the essence of Landscape.”
— John Constable