Between 1819 and 1837, John Constable produced over 100 oil sketches and paintings on Hampstead Heath. They changed the course of Western landscape painting. Here is the story of those years.
John Constable, one of England's greatest landscape painters, had a profound connection with Hampstead Heath. He lived in the village, painted the Heath obsessively, and is buried in its churchyard. His Hampstead works, especially his revolutionary cloud studies, changed the course of landscape painting. This is the story of Constable and Hampstead Heath.
- John Constable lived in Hampstead from the 1820s until his death in 1837
- He painted the Heath and its skies repeatedly, pioneering the study of clouds
- His Hampstead "cloud studies" were revolutionary in art history
- Constable is buried in St John-at-Hampstead churchyard on Church Row
- Many of his Hampstead works are in major collections (Tate, V&A, Royal Academy)
- Walk the Heath he painted and visit his grave for a complete Constable pilgrimage
Constable Comes to Hampstead
John Constable (1776-1837) moved his family to Hampstead in the 1820s, drawn, like so many Londoners before and since, by the village's clean air and elevated position above the smoke of the city. His wife Maria's poor health was a major reason; Hampstead's air was believed to be restorative.
For Constable, however, Hampstead was more than a healthy retreat. The Heath, with its open skies, sweeping views, and ever-changing weather, became one of his great subjects. He painted it again and again, capturing its trees, its sandy banks, its distant views, and, above all, its skies.
The Cloud Studies
Constable's most revolutionary work at Hampstead was his series of cloud studies. Between roughly 1821 and 1822, he undertook what he called "skying", making rapid oil sketches of the sky alone, studying the formation, movement, and light of clouds with almost scientific intensity.
These studies were extraordinary for their time. Constable treated the sky not as a backdrop but as the central subject, "the key note, the standard of scale, and the chief organ of sentiment" in a landscape, as he put it. He often noted the date, time, weather, and wind direction on the back of each study, combining the eye of an artist with the rigour of a meteorologist.
The cloud studies, many made on the Heath, were a turning point in landscape art. They influenced generations of painters and anticipated the Impressionists' fascination with light and atmosphere. To stand on the Heath today, watching the clouds race across the wide sky, is to see exactly what Constable saw and sought to capture.
Dr. Patricia Lowe, an art historian specialising in British landscape painting, regards the Hampstead cloud studies as pivotal. "Before Constable, the sky was scenery," she said. "He made it the subject. Those little oil sketches he dashed off on the Heath, noting the wind and the time of day, they're some of the most important things in the history of landscape painting. And the remarkable thing is you can go and stand where he stood. The Heath's skies haven't changed. On a blustery day with the clouds piling up, you're looking at a living Constable."
Constable's Hampstead Paintings
Constable's Hampstead output was prolific and varied:
- Cloud studies, the revolutionary sky sketches
- Views across the Heath, capturing its trees, banks, and distances
- Branch Hill Pond, a favourite Heath subject he returned to repeatedly
- Hampstead Heath with a Rainbow, among his most famous Hampstead works
- Views towards Harrow and the open country beyond
Many of these works are now in major public collections, including Tate Britain, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Royal Academy. Seeing them, and then walking the Heath he painted, is one of the richest art experiences London offers.
Constable's Grave
John Constable died in 1837 and is buried in the churchyard of St John-at-Hampstead, at the end of Church Row. His grave, in the peaceful churchyard of the village he loved, is a place of quiet pilgrimage for admirers of his work.
Visiting the grave completes the Constable connection: the painter who immortalised the Heath's skies rests within sight of them, in the village that was his home for the last years of his life.
A Constable Walk
For those who want to follow in Constable's footsteps:
1. The Heath: Walk the open Heath, especially on a day of dramatic skies, to see the landscape and clouds he painted. The higher, open areas towards Parliament Hill and the West Heath offer the wide skies he loved.
2. Branch Hill: Seek out the area around Branch Hill Pond, a favourite Constable subject.
3. Church Row and the churchyard: Walk down the beautiful Georgian Church Row to St John-at-Hampstead and visit Constable's grave.
4. The galleries: See his Hampstead works at Tate Britain or the V&A in central London.
This pilgrimage connects the man, his landscape, his art, and his final resting place, a complete encounter with one of England's greatest painters.
Constable and Hampstead's Artistic Legacy
Constable is the greatest of the many artists drawn to Hampstead, but he is part of a long tradition. The village and Heath have inspired painters, writers, and poets for centuries, from Keats, who wrote his odes nearby, to the many artists who have lived and worked here. Constable's cloud studies are the supreme example of how this landscape has shaped great art. For more on Hampstead's creative heritage, see the guide to literary Hampstead.
Practical Information
- The Heath: Free and open daily, walk it on a day of good skies for the full Constable effect
- Constable's grave: St John-at-Hampstead churchyard, Church Row, NW3
- His paintings: Tate Britain, the V&A, and the Royal Academy hold major Hampstead works
- Best for: Art lovers, history enthusiasts, anyone who loves the Heath's skies
- Getting there: Hampstead (Northern line) for the village, Heath, and churchyard
Constable and Hampstead Heath are inseparable. He found in its wide skies and changing weather the subject that would produce some of the most important works in the history of landscape painting. To walk the Heath today, watching the clouds he watched, and to stand at his grave in the village churchyard, is to connect directly with an artist who saw the everyday beauty of this place more deeply than anyone before or since, and who changed art forever in the seeing.
