Artwork
Cornfields near Brighton
Cornfields near Brighton is a print by the Impressionist artist John Constable. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
John Constable’s *Cornfields near Brighton* is a print from his famous series of English landscapes. This 1855 mezzotint shows a quiet countryside scene near Brighton.
Constable supervised the whole project himself. He picked 22 landscapes to turn into prints, then guided the artist David Lucas to make them.
Ever seen a mezzotint up close? Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
Cornfields near Brighton is a mezzotint produced as part of John Constable’s ambitious English Landscape series. Issued in the mid‑19th century, the print depicts a tranquil agricultural scene on the outskirts of Brighton, rendered in the tonal richness characteristic of mezzotint engraving.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents cultivated fields under a sky that shifts between light and shade, embodying Constable’s belief that the play of illumination defines the essence of landscape. By choosing a modest, everyday view, the work underscores the artist’s aim to celebrate ordinary English scenery as worthy of artistic attention.
Technique & Style
Executed by David Lucas under Constable’s direction, the mezzotint employs a labor‑intensive process of roughening and smoothing copper plates to achieve deep, velvety blacks and subtle gradations. The result is a soft atmospheric quality that echoes the tonal effects Constable achieved in his oil sketches, while also reflecting the influence of earlier landscape masters such as Claude Lorrain and J.M.W. Turner.
History & Provenance
The mezzotint of Cornfields near Brighton is among the later impressions, dating from 1855, and is now held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The English Landscape series was first published between June 1830 and July 1832, comprising twenty‑two plates. A revised second edition appeared in 1833, and after Constable’s death in 1837 additional re‑issues and new plates by Lucas were released. The mezzotint of Cornfields near Brighton is among the later impressions, dating from 1855, and is now held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
Constable’s late‑career venture into printmaking was intended to disseminate his vision of the English countryside to a broader audience. By collaborating with the relatively unknown mezzotinter David Lucas, he sought to control the translation of his paintings and sketches into a reproducible format, thereby reinforcing his reputation as a chronicler of national landscape.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Constable (; 11 June 1776 – 31 March 1837) was an English landscape painter in the Romantic tradition.
