Is Constable's 'Cornfield' a real or imagined landscape? | National Gallery

How do we know whether John Constable's 'The Cornfield' is too good to be true? Dr Mary McMahon, our Bernays Curatorial Fellow of British Paintings, asks whether this lane and stream exist or if this rural idyll is exactly that.
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[@VDArtworks]

Wow, this documentary on John Constable is an absolute gem! It delves deep into the life and art of one of the greatest landscape painters in history. I was captivated by his meticulous attention to detail and his ability to capture the essence of nature. The documentary beautifully showcases his masterpieces and provides valuable insights into his creative process. Truly inspiring!

[@eileencollins8799]

Is it real or imagined? No, it’s remembered, a precious memory.

[@barbarawillis5187]

I recently "discovered" the artist John Constable and appreciate The National Gallery KZbin channel for this lecture on the painting, The Cornfield.

[@colinc.8742]

Beautifully presented.

[@user-oz4ou9qo2v]

I'm quite certain the dog's attention is on the mysterious figure hiding behind the trunk of the silver birch. His most visible feature is his top-hat ... perhaps a spoof on Turner, and his fondness for climbing ship-masts.

[@sacredkinetics.lns.8352]

` 🌺 🌹 For me it's wonderfully real. Thanks for your excellent explanation.

[@6thdayblue59]

Beautiful explication……. Thank you so much

[@nationalgallery]

Our pleasure! Thank you for watching

[@lynnblack6493]

Wanted to say I enjoyed this analysis. Based on memories but certainly improved.

[@ginnyc]

Thank you for these videos, i really enjoy them.

[@marthaellenconner98]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing! Love British rural motif landscapes!

[@Dominic-mm6yf]

Could be a collection of country scenes he saw together in one painting.

[@andreuibars1361]

Thank you very much. I have enjoyed this little talk about a Constable's masterpiece.

[@amazinggrace5692]

Can someone please tell me why it’s called in the cornfield when she says it is a wheat field? Thank you.

[@santiagofernandez880]

Thanks for the video.

[@ganzoriggangaa556]

Great explain detail by detail thank you.

[@barbarajohnson1442]

Thank you! Excellent introduction to the truth about Realism! Love this painting, as he really imagined it.

[@rossmcleod7983]

I’ve seen how various manifestations of the golden mean have been plastered all over this work. Compositionally it is tightly constrained by such a heavy handed construction imho.

[@DV-dt9sq]

Love itttt❤❤❤

[@deepashtray5605]

It is certainly loaded with metaphor.

[@LaraRenee42]

I wonder.... what if someone paints an orange from memory? An orange is real, but the orange he painted isn't real. On one hand that seems like the same question, just on a smaller scale. On the other hand, that feels like that's too easy an answer.

[@DC-jk9ts]

Real or imagined, it’s idyllic.