John Constable, R.A.

Probably Captain Charles Golding Constable (1821-1879), the artist's second son;
Probably Anna Maria Constable (1841-1889), his second wife;
Probably Captain Charles Golding Constable's executors sale, Christie's, 23rd June 1890, lot 93, bought Salting for £8 ('A Child, with cart, in landscape');
Probably George Salting (1835-1909);
Probably Private Collection, France;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 16th July 1982, lot 31

Probably on loan to South Kensington Museum, 1880-1883, no. 113 ('Sketch of a boy with a toy cart')

G. Reynolds, The Later Paintings and Drawings of John Constable, Yale University Press and London, 1984, Text Volume no.21.124, Plates volume, plate 327;
M. Gayford and A. Lyles, Constable Portraits, The Painter & His Circle, catalogue for the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London, 2009, p. 17 (illus.)

STRUCTURE Paper mounted on card. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in very good condition. There are minor abrasions in the upper left, right and lower right corners and some very minor paint loss around the edges, but otherwise the paint surface appears to be in very good stable condition. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals an old discoloured varnish overall and one further minor abrasion overlaid with retouching to the immediate left of the standing woman. FRAME Held in a carved and gilded wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@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."

This charming study has been dated by Graham Reynolds to 1821 and probably depicts the four year old John Charles Constable, the artist's youngest son. The years between 1817 and 1822 were described by the artist as "the 5 happiest and most interesting years of my life." He had just married his true love and in December 1817 their first child John Charles was born. The family later settled in Hampstead and Constable delighted in painting sketches of his wife and their new children, such as Maria Constable with two of her children (Tate Gallery). A small watercolour of c.1821-2 shows John Charles and Maria Louisa in their nursery where John Charles is seated as if driving a trap pulled by a rocky horse (Privare Collection). Since the publication of his catalogue, Graham Reynolds has seen the present painting, confirming its authenticity and noting that "it seems reasonable to maintain the hypothetical identification of the child as John Charles Constable and the dating of c.1821."