John Constable was the great painter of the English landscape, known for his naturalistic depictions of the Suffolk countryside, the Sussex coast, and Hampstead Heath. His large 'six-footer' exhibition canvases — including The Hay Wain (1821) — were revolutionary for their fresh observation of clouds, moving water, and dappled light. Shown in Paris in 1824, they had an enormous impact on French Romantic painters, particularly Delacroix, who is said to have repainted part of his Liberty Leading the People after seeing Constable's work. Despite this, Constable was largely unrecognized in England until near the end of his life.
