A Summerland Plate 26 from English Landscape Scenery
Item
Title
A Summerland
Plate 26 from English Landscape Scenery
Plate 26 from English Landscape Scenery
Creator
David Lucas
English, 1802–1881
After John Constable
English, 1776–1837
Published in 1855 by Henry George Bohn
British, 1796–1884
English, 1802–1881
After John Constable
English, 1776–1837
Published in 1855 by Henry George Bohn
British, 1796–1884
Date
1831
Materials
Mezzotint, third state of three
Measurements
plate: 6-15/16 x 9-13/16 in. (17.7 x 25 cm), sheet: 11-1/8 x 16-13/16 in. (28.5 x 42.8 cm)
Description
In 1829, John Constable engaged the young David Lucas, recently graduated apprentice of the famed mezzotinter, Samuel William Reynolds, to engrave a number of his landscapes. The project, in the end incorporating reproductions of just twenty-two paintings, unfolded in five parts that were published under the title Various Subjects of Landscape, Characteristic of English Scenery, from Pictures Painted by John Constable between June 1830 and July 1832. A Summerland, based on Constable’s 1814 oil on canvas titled Landscape: Ploughing Scene in Suffolk, was issued in November 1931 as a component of Part Four.
After Constable’s death, Lucas reworked a number of the plates, including A Summertime, for subsequent editions. Unfortunately, because he had worked not on copper but steel, no doubt in an effort to secure a longer printing life for the series, the plates corroded after years of improper storage. The museum’s example on view here likely comes from the 1855 edition, published by George Henry Bohn under the title that Constable’s project had become more generally known: English Landscape Scenery. The sheet reflects the reworking and wear evident in Bohn’s edition, but lacks, probably due to abrasion, the plate number that should appear to the right, just above the image.
After Constable’s death, Lucas reworked a number of the plates, including A Summertime, for subsequent editions. Unfortunately, because he had worked not on copper but steel, no doubt in an effort to secure a longer printing life for the series, the plates corroded after years of improper storage. The museum’s example on view here likely comes from the 1855 edition, published by George Henry Bohn under the title that Constable’s project had become more generally known: English Landscape Scenery. The sheet reflects the reworking and wear evident in Bohn’s edition, but lacks, probably due to abrasion, the plate number that should appear to the right, just above the image.
Source
Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University, Given in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Milton J. Goodfriend
Identifier
2008.101
Rights
This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.