Artwork
Old Sarum
Old Sarum is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist John Constable. It dates from 1834 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This spot had been ruins for centuries, so artists liked it for its worn, wild look.
John Constable painted Old Sarum in watercolour in 1834. It’s a quiet landscape of a place he knew well. He rarely traveled just to paint. This spot had been ruins for centuries, so artists liked it for its worn, wild look.
Constable visited his friend John Fisher in Salisbury. He made this while staying there. The place was already famous with painters before him.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see this work in person.
Overview
John Constable's watercolour, Old Sarum, was created in 1834. It is a serene landscape of a site familiar to the artist.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Old Sarum, a location near Salisbury, England, that had fallen into ruin by the 16th century. Its state of decay made it a popular subject among artists seeking to capture picturesque or romantic landscapes.
History & Provenance
Constable painted Old Sarum during a visit to his friend John Fisher, who resided in Salisbury. The work is now part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection.
Context
Constable's choice of subject reflects his preference for painting familiar locations. Old Sarum's ruined state aligned with the artistic tastes of the time, appealing to both the picturesque and Romantic movements.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
John Constable was an English landscape painter in the Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedham Vale, the area on the…
The ruins of a Cowdray House
Shooters Hill
In the Wharfedale, Yorkshire
Dryslyn Castle, in the Vale of Towy, South Wales
Landscape with Distant Windmill
Gadshill, from the Three Crutches on the Gravesend - Rochester Road
Mountain Landscape with two Figures at the Right
Copper's Gap, near Brighton
Berkhamsted
Landscape with winding river
Landscape with river and mountains- Old Sarum