John Constable R.A.

The medium is in good condition. There is a 40 mm tear in the sheet, located at the bottom left hand corner. The sheet has been laid down. For further information on this lot please contact Mark Griffith-Jones (0207 293 5083) or Emmeline Hallmark (0207 293 5407) mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com emmeline.hallmark@sothebys.com
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Although the identity of this sleeping child is not known, it is possible that it depicts one of Constable's own children. After a long courtship Constable finally married Maria Bicknell (1788-1828) in October 1816. Together they had seven children: John Charles (b. 1817), Maria Louisa (b. 1819), Charles Golding (b. 1821), Isabel (b. 1823), Emily (b. 1825), Alfred (b. 1826) and Lionel (b. 1828).

These children appear regularly in Constable's drawings, pen and ink studies and oil paintings during the 1820s and 1830s. The artist's first biographer, Charles Robert Leslie (1794–1859), noted that Constable's 'fondness for children exceeded, indeed, that of any man [he] ever knew'.^[1]

1. C.R. Leslie, Memoirs of the Life of John Constable, 1845, p. 77