Artwork

Portrait of the Rev. Edmund Benson wearing a medieval chasuble, Salisbury

Portrait of the Rev. Edmund Benson wearing a medieval chasuble, Salisbury is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist John Constable. It dates from 1821 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This watercolour painting depicts the Rev.

About this work

Overview

This watercolour painting depicts the Rev. Edmund Benson wearing a medieval chasuble, created in 1821 as a study for a larger work.

Subject & Meaning

The subject, Rev. Edmund Benson, is shown wearing an intricately decorated chasuble featuring a prominent crucifix and various religious scenes, rendered in muted tones with accents of gold, red, and green.

Technique & Style

The watercolour showcases detailed patterns and small pictorial scenes on the chasuble, evoking medieval embroidery, with the artist employing a range of colours to create visual contrast against a dark background.

History & Provenance

The painting was executed in 1821, a year that saw the artist's third child born and visits to Salisbury and Hampstead, coinciding with the exhibition of a notable oil painting.