I hope other people managed to watch the latest episode of 'Fake or Fortune?' on BBC1 this evening, if you missed it here is the link on iPlayer http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03srsjl/Fake_or_Fortune_Series_3_Constable/ , it is definitely worth viewing as it looks at two potential Constable seascapes which are examined for their authenticity. The show is also a major insight into the art world and has given me a lot to think about in future art auctions I am interested in. The difference between attributing a painting to someone such as Constable and saying it is by Constable could be a difference of thousands or even millions of pounds. I think this will be worth exploring this in future blog posts as I know auction houses often do not disclose the provenance of a painting which I can now see is more important than ever.
To start looking at the Turner exhibition I will look at Constable himself through his famous
Chain Pier, Brighton (Figure 1) painting which is on display here. The canvas itself is Constable's only large scale painting that came about from his visits to Brighton in the 1820s. It compares interestingly to JMW Turner's painting from a slightly different angle of the pier called
Brighton from the Sea (Figure 2)
. Turner focuses more on the sea than Constable and portrays the pier against a sunset whilst Constable has a decidedly more storm focused backdrop to his painting. I would be interested to see what people thought of the two paintings and which version of the pier they prefer as both artists use their own skills very differently but both achieve very memorable seascapes of Brighton.
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| Figure 1. John Constable, Chain Pier, Brighton ( (1827, oil-on-canvas, 127 x 183cm, Tate). |
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| Figure 2. JMW Turner, Brighton from the Sea ((c.1828-30, oil-on-canvas, 63.5 x 132cm, Tate and the National Trust (Pentworth House)). |
It is fascinating as one looks deeper in to the minds of the great artists. On first glances the paintings never appear to be as deep as they do upon further inspection. To get an insight into the art world, such as this video shows, it does make one question the paintings seen from place to place and their potential worth! The genius of Constable, particularly when in the Fake or Fortune show is obvious. The depth of thought involved as well as the skill needed to convey such a truly British scene is remarkable.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your writing of the Brighton pier, on first impression the light of Turner's art drew me in with the sun and its soft glow across the water. Yet as I looked more closely at the painting and compared it to the stormy portrayal by Constable, the detail of Constable's work and the reality it portrays creates a breathtakingly believable scene of the British coastline.
Yes, I'm still not sure which version of the pier I prefer. Turner's reflection of the sunset is quite amazing and is probably my favourite at the moment but seeing Constable's at the exhibition gives it more justice than on a computer screen. I found out today that Turner was also on Fake or Fortune and can be found on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzCPz5xf6aU), definitely also worth a watch. If anyone does have a chance to watch I would be interested to see what people thought of it. I think I might do a future blog on it.
DeleteAnyway thank you for your comment!