John Constable in Brighton: 'There is nothing here for the painter'

About

The great landscape painter, John Constable, was inspired by nature; the dappling of light on green leaves, clouds blowing across a sky, the play of sunshine on moving water. So, when he came to the fashionable seaside town of Brighton for his wife's health, he found little to like, describing it as "only Piccadilly by the seaside".

In this talk Dr Matthew Morgan looks at Constable's time in Brighton and ask whether it is possible to be inspired in a town for which you have little regard.

Matthew is a freelance art historian, educator and museum professional. He has been the Museum Director of Turners House. He is an Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London. He has worked at the Royal Collection, the National Gallery, the Wallace Collection and the V&A, and has contributed to TV documentaries, podcasts, and radio shows. He can be found on YouTube.

Doors open 6pm, talk starts at 6.30pm. Please note, this presentation takes place in our front drawing room at 1st floor level, for accessibility, see: https://rth.org.uk/accessibility-guide

Image: Chain Pier, Brighton, 1826-7, by John Constable, courtesy Tate