Summer Morning

David Lucas British
After John Constable British

Not on view

In 1827, Constable began work on the project that would occupy his attention until his death seven years later: the publication of a series of prints based on his paintings that would stand as a summary of his achievements. The painter collaborated closely with the engraver David Lucas to create prints that would convey Constable's didactic intention—to illustrate the "chiaroscuro of nature." The medium of mezzotint, in which the design is developed from dark to light using a wide range of velvety tones, was eminently suited to the project. Here, the bright sun of a summer morning illuminates a richly textured landscape, striated in light and shade.

Summer Morning, David Lucas (British, Geddington Chase, Northamptonshire 1802–1881 London), Mezzotint; between states a and b, proof before letters

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