A Stand of Elm Trees (recto); A Study of East Bergholt with the Church (verso)

A Stand of Elm Trees (recto); A Study of East Bergholt with the Church (verso) by John Constable English, 1776-1837 is a revealing, double-sided study executed during the formative decade of the artist's career, spanning 1797 to 1807. This drawing provides crucial insight into the observational methods that would define Constable’s mature practice of landscape painting. The recto, titled A Stand of Elm Trees, is rendered in black chalk on pale gray laid paper, focusing on the powerful verticality and texture of large trees, a subject Constable returned to repeatedly throughout his lifetime. The use of chalk allows him to rapidly establish mass, shadow, and the intricate structure of the foliage.

The verso of the sheet features a complementary study, A Study of East Bergholt with the Church, sketched using graphite. East Bergholt, located in Suffolk, England, was Constable’s birthplace and the setting for many of his most celebrated landscapes. These detailed topographical studies helped the artist intimately understand the structure and mood of his surroundings, serving as preliminary visual notes before translating the scenes into oil paintings.

This significant work, classified simply as a drawing, captures the precision and commitment Constable brought to documenting the natural world. It exemplifies the early English Romantic tradition of direct engagement with the environment. The piece is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While the original drawing remains a key scholarly resource, this work is increasingly entering the public domain, allowing for the widespread creation of high-quality prints that celebrate Constable’s foundational studies.