CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA.- The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra presents the exhibit “Constable: Impressions of Land, Sea and Sky” through June 12. John Constable (1776–1837) was one of the greatest British landscape painters, renowned for his landscapes, his ‘pure and unaffected representation of nature’. The breadth of his vision of the English countryside is evident in masterpieces such as Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds 1822–23, A boat passing a lock 1826 and The Vale of Dedham 1827–28.

Constable’s works – from the smallest pencil notation or oil sketch to the finished painting – reveal his deep understanding of nature. His rapid, on-the-spot sketches, such as Rainstorm over the sea c.1824–28, brought a new vivacity to the observation of nature, capturing the effervescent sensations of light and atmosphere. His art became the benchmark for naturalist painters in Europe in the nineteenth century. French artists were the first to be stimulated by the innovative character of his work, which brought a new boldness to the handling of paint.

The exhibit includes poetry readings, lectures, curator´s perspective, descriptive tours, screenings, floortalks, sign interpreted tours, and performance.