Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of the second half of the 18th century. He painted quickly, and the works of his maturity are characterised by a light palette and easy strokes. Despite being a prolific portrait painter, Gainsborough gained greater satisfaction from his landscapes. He is credited as the originator of the 18th-century British landscape school. Gainsborough was a founding member of the Royal Academy.
John Constable was an English landscape painter in the Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home – now known as "Constable Country" – which he invested with an intensity of affection. "I should paint my own places best", he wrote to his friend John Fisher in 1821, "painting is but another word for feeling".
Benjamin West was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as The Death of Nelson, The Death of General Wolfe, the Treaty of Paris, and Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky.
The Hay Wain – originally titled Landscape: Noon – is a painting by John Constable, completed in 1821, which depicts a rural scene on the River Stour between the English counties of Suffolk and Essex. It hangs in the National Gallery in London and is regarded as "Constable's most famous image" and one of the greatest and most popular English paintings.
Richard Parkes Bonington was an English Romantic landscape painter, who moved to France at the age of 14 and can also be considered as a French artist, and an intermediary bringing aspects of English style to France. Becoming, after his early death, one of the most influential British artists of his time, the facility of his style was inspired by the old masters, yet was entirely modern in its application. His landscapes were mostly of coastal scenes, with a low horizon and large sky, showing a brilliant handling of light and atmosphere. He also painted small historical cabinet paintings in a freely-handled version of the troubadour style.
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in England, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. Founded by Sir Henry Tate, it houses a substantial collection of the art of the United Kingdom since Tudor times, and in particular has large holdings of the works of J. M. W. Turner, who bequeathed all his own collection to the nation. It is one of the largest museums in the country. The museum had 525,144 visitors in 2021, an increase of 34 percent from 2020 but still well below pre- COVID-19 pandemic levels. In 2021 it ranked 50th on the list of most-visited art museums in the world.
Stratford Mill is an 1820 oil on canvas painting by the British landscape artist John Constable. It is the second painting in the series of six-footers depicting working scenes on the River Stour, a series that includes The Hay Wain. The painting is now in the collection of the National Gallery in London.
Lord Byron's Dream is a landscape painting by the British artist and future president of the Royal Academy Charles Lock Eastlake, from 1827.
Chain Pier, Brighton is a landscape painting by the British artist John Constable. One of his "six footers", it was exhibited at the Royal Academy's 1827 Summer Exhibition. It depicts the recently-constructed Brighton Chain Pier in the resort town of Brighton on the southern coast of England. The Pier was opened in 1823 and remained a prominent feature of the Brighton seafront until it collapsed in 1896.
The Opening of Waterloo Bridge is an 1832 history painting by the British artist John Constable. It depicts the scene on 18 June 1817 when the newly constructed Waterloo Bridge across the River Thames in London was ceremonially opened by the Prince Regent. To distinguish it from other works of the scene by Constable and others, it is known by the longer alternative title Embarkation of George IV from Whitehall: The Opening of Waterloo Bridge, 1817.
Malvern Hall is an 1821 landscape painting by the British artist John Constable. It depicts a view of Malvern Hall in Warwickshire. Constable, known in particular for his paintings of his native Suffolk, first visited Malvern Hall in 1809 and returned again in 1820. He was invited by Magdelane, the widow of Earl of Dysart. As the house had been rebuilt and restored since his previous visit, he was encouraged by her to paint it again.
Parham Mill is an 1826 landscape painting by the English artist John Constable. It portrays a view of the Parham watermill in Gillingham, Dorset. In 1823 Constable was staying with his friend John Fisher, nephew of the Bishop of Salisbury, who suggested he should paint it. Constable was attracted to the mill which he called "wonderfull old & romantic".
Old Horse Guards is a 1749 landscape painting by the Italian artist Canaletto. It depicts the view from St James's Park of the Horse Guards building in London. Built during the reign of Charles II it served as the headquarters of the British Army. At the time he painted it the existing building was due to be pulled down and replaced by the larger building designed by William Kent that still stands today. The painting offers a wider view of Whitehall in the mid-eighteenth century. On the right of the picture is the rear of Downing Street. It is also known by the longer title The Old Horse Guards from St James's Park.
Road to the Spaniards, Hampstead is an 1822 landscape painting by the British artist John Constable. It shows a view across Hampstead Heath along Spaniards Road, a route to Highgate. The building on the left is the Spaniards Inn from which the road takes its name. It was painted in July 1822 during overcast day. Constable emphasies the skyline with looming storm clouds. Today it is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Pennsylvania.
Flatford Mill is an 1817 landscape painting by the British artist John Constable. It depicts a view of Flatford Mill in East Bergholt on the River Stour. It is also known by the subtitle Scene on a Navigable River.
Gillingham Bridge is an 1823 landscape painting by the British artist John Constable. It portrays a scene of the country town of Gillingham in Dorset. It features the old bridge crossing the River Stour by the town with church tower of St Mary the Virgin in the background. Constable's friend John Fisher held the incumbency of Gillingham and Constable visited him there in 1820. He returned again in 1823 when he painted this work.
Waterloo Bridge is an 1820 riverscape painting by the British artist John Constable. It depicts a view of London looking eastwards towards Waterloo Bridge, which had opened three years earlier. Also visible are notable other London landmarks including Somerset House and Saint Paul's Cathedral. In the foreground are waterman and bathers. Constable's patron John Fisher described it as Canaletto-like. Constable spent many years working on a major project The Opening of Waterloo Bridge showing the events of 1817.
Hampstead Heath, with a Bonfire is a c.1822 landscape painting by the British artist John Constable. It depicts a view of Hampstead Heath, close to where Constable and his family had been living since 1819. In several views of the Heath, Constable uses relatively small human figures to emphasise its size.
The Glebe Farm is an 1830 landscape painting by the British artist John Constable. It shows a view of the Glebe Farm in the village of Langham in Essex on the Stour River in what is often now known as "Constable Country". Seen clearly behind it is the tower of St Mary's Church. Constable seems to have been inspired to paint the work by the death of his patron the Bishop of Salisbury in 1825. The Bishop had been rector of Langham in the 1790s when Constable first met him.
Princess Charlotte Arriving at Harwich is a 1763 history painting by the French-born British artist Dominic Serres. It shows Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz arriving at the port of Harwich in Essex aboard the Royal Yacht Royal Charlotte. Charlotte was arriving in England for her wedding with the British monarch George III and their joint coronation at Westminster Abbey. She had sailed from Cuxhaven escorted by the Admiral of the Fleet Lord Anson, at a time when Britain was fighting the Seven Years War against France and its Allies. Serres himself travelled to Harwich to record the scene. The ship is shown passing the Landguard Fort on the Suffolk side of the River Orwell with a crowd of onlookers around the Low Lighthouse on the Harwich shore.
