Constable and Brighton

This lavishly illustrated book focuses on a largely overlooked element in his life - his close and artistically rewarding relationship with the boisterous resort of Brighton during the years 1824-28. He went in search of healthy air for his ailing wife Maria and the peace to help him clear a backlog of commissions, and became accustomed to painting on the beach or up by the windmills that dotted the Sussex Downs. More than 100 small, vivid studies from these walks exist, most dashed off outside in all weathers, some that are almost abstract responses to storms or the light on the sea. This book assembles the most complete collection of these Brighton sketches ever published, some of them only recently discovered. Exhibition: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, United Kingdom (08.04-08.10.2017).