Artwork
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (after Constable)
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (after Constable) is a print by Leon Kossoff. It dates from 1996 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Leon Kossoff made this print in 1996-97. It’s a landscape showing Salisbury Cathedral. The print is etched, not painted, which lets him focus on line.
Kossoff often reworked his etchings to get them just right. He even altered prints after the first run was done. He used this method to study old paintings by artists like Poussin and Rembrandt.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
Overview
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (after Constable) is an etching by Leon Kossoff, created in 1996-97. This landscape print reinterprets John Constable's original painting, now housed at the Tate Gallery, through Kossoff's distinctive focus on line.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is Salisbury Cathedral, but the work's deeper purpose lies in Kossoff's exploration of Constable's composition and artistic essence. By stripping away color, Kossoff aimed to understand the underlying structure and intent of the original painting.
Technique & Style
Executed as an etching, the piece highlights Kossoff's preoccupation with 'line' as a medium for artistic investigation. Characteristic of his process, the print may have undergone multiple revisions, even after initial editions, in pursuit of perfection.
History & Provenance
Created in collaboration with Ann Dowker for initial proofs and later editioned by Marc Balakjian of Studio Prints. The work is part of Kossoff's 1996-97 series reinterpreting Old Masters, including Poussin and Rembrandt, though this specific piece is after Constable.
Context
Part of a broader practice among mid-20th-century British figurative artists (like Frank Auerbach and Lucian Freud) who approached printmaking as an extension of draughtsmanship. Kossoff's method of reworking prints, even post-edition, reflects his meticulous approach.
Artist & collection
Artist
Leon Kossoff (10 December 1926 – 4 July 2019) was a British figurative painter known for portraits, life drawings and cityscapes of London, England.
