“Maria Bicknell, Mrs. John Constable”
Here is a piece painted with great love…
This oil on canvas painting, titled “Maria Bicknell, Mrs. John Constable”, was painted in 1816 by the English Romantic artist, John Constable. It was painted in July, just three months before Constable and Maria were married.
Maria Bicknell and John Constable had been childhood friends, first meeting in 1800. By 1809, their friendship had turned to love. Unfortunately, Maria’s grandfather, the rector of East Bergholt, refused the marriage. He saw the Constable family as socially inferior to the Bicknell family. In October of 1816, after much persistence, they were allowed to be married. This change of heart was partly due to the recent death of Constable’s parents and the inheritance that they left him. His inheritance gave him a firmer financial footing.
A month after painting her portrait, Constable wrote to his wife, “I would not be without your portrait for the world, the sight of it soon calms my spirit under all trouble.” Following their marriage, Constable’s art changed. He took more risks with his art, displaying the use of new techniques and brighter colors. Critics also noted a greater emotional depth to Constable’s work.
Maria and John enjoyed a blissful twelve years together in marriage before Maria’s health declined. At age 41, she died of tuberculosis. Maria left Constable seven young children to care for on his own. Shortly after she passed, Constable wrote to his brother, “hourly do I feel the loss of my departed Angel—God only knows how my children will be brought up…the face of the World is totally changed to me.” For the rest of his life, Constable was in mourning, dressing only in black. He raised his children alone, never again marrying.
“Maria Bicknell” is currently in the collections of the Tate Britain Museum in London, England.
For more on John Constable, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
