Stour Valley and Dedham Church (1814) by John Constable

Stour Valley and Dedham Church - John Constable - 1814

Artwork Information

TitleStour Valley and Dedham Church
ArtistJohn Constable
Date1814
MediumOil on Canvas
Dimensions56 x 78 cm
Art MovementRomanticism
Current LocationMuseum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston
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About Stour Valley and Dedham Church

Stour Valley and Dedham Church is an oil painting by John Constable, depicting the landscape of the Stour Valley in Essex with the church of Dedham visible in the background. The painting was executed in the fall of 1814, and the artist made several oil sketches and pencil drawings for it. The varied brushstrokes used in the artwork capture the light and weather of the English countryside.

The viewpoint depicted in Stour Valley and Dedham Church was identified as one of the few unidentified Constable views. The artwork was painted between 1814 and 1815 and captures Langham church, Dedham church, Fen Bridge, and the bend in the River Stour. Constable was a self-taught artist, and his native Suffolk often featured in his work.

The painting is one of Constable’s most significant works, and it exemplifies his style, which was concerned with the beautification of ordinary life. The artwork’s focus on the natural scenery and the church of Dedham in the background gives the painting a picturesque quality that is characteristic of Constable’s art. Stour Valley and Dedham Church is a masterpiece of English landscape art, and it is considered one of the artist’s most famous paintings.

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