Spring clouds study 1822

John Constable made this small oil painting, Spring Clouds Study, using brushes and paint on paper. At the time, painting outdoors, en plein air, was becoming increasingly popular, and small works like this were often created as studies for larger paintings back in the studio. The very quality of the paint, its viscosity and the way it's been applied with such immediacy, gives the sky its character. The thinness of the paint in areas lets the color of the paper come through, giving the sky its atmospheric effect. The contrast between light and dark areas evokes the three-dimensionality of the clouds. It's interesting to consider the labor that went into producing even such a seemingly simple image: the grinding of pigments, the preparation of the paper, all before Constable could even pick up his brush. By considering the making process and materiality, we can better appreciate the skill and labor involved in creating even a seemingly simple work like this cloud study.