{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117641"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117641/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2552/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2552/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BF2552","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JT7991","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O117641/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117641","accessionNumber":"252-1888","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Study of ash trees","type":"popular title"}],"summaryDescription":"Constable usually made studies directly from nature for his large oil paintings, and this study of ash trees may be an example of his working method: the foremost tree, with a dead branch hanging against its trunk, appears to be the same as that in the right foreground of a painting owned by Tate Britain, <i>The Valley Farm</i>.  However, the sketch's resemblance to studies of ash trees at Hampstead may suggest that this is an independent drawing, done after the completion of the painting.","physicalDescription":"Pencil drawing of two ash trees with dramatically shadowed trunks and sunlit crowns.  The tree in the foreground has a dead branch hanging down two-thirds of the way up the trunk.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Constable, John (RA)","id":"A8267"},"association":{"text":"drawn by","id":"x30616"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006BF2552","2017JT7991"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"TOPIC","shelf":"13","box":"B"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Suffolk","id":"x29440"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1817","earliest":"1817-01-01","latest":"1817-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Isabel Constable, daughter of the artist","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"328","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"238","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'J WHATMAN'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Watermark"}],"objectHistory":"Historical significance: In 1818 Constable first exhibited one of his tree studies at the Royal Academy; previously he had exhibited oil paintings almost exclusively there.","historicalContext":"In 1817 Constable exhibited four works at the Royal Academy: 'Scene on a navigable river' ('Flatford Mill on the River Stour') (Tate Gallery No. 1273); 'A Cottage' (see No. 352 [1631-1888]); 'Wivenhoe Park, Essex, the seat of Major-General Rebow' (National Gallery of Art, Washington: Widener Collection); and a portrait of John Fisher, still in the Fisher family collection.  He spent ten weeks of the summer at East Bergholt.  His first child, John Charles, was born on 4 December.\r\n\r\n[G Reynolds, 1973, p. 115]","briefDescription":"Drawing 'Study of ash trees' by John Constable","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"G. Reynolds, <i>Victoria and Albert Museum: Catalogue of the Constable Collection</i>, 1973, pp. 118-19, no. 163."},{"reference":{"text":"Parris, Leslie and Fleming-Williams, Ian. <i>Constable </i> London : The Tate Gallery, 1991","id":"AUTH354806"},"details":"no.301","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<i>Catalogue of the Constable Collection</i>, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 115, 118, 119"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"p. 35","free":"Anne Anderson, Tim Craven, Della Hooke. Steve Marshall, Ian Massey, <u>Under the Greenwood. Picturing the British tree from Constable to Kurt Jackson</u> ISBN: 9781908326300"},{"reference":{"text":"Feaver, William, <i>Lucian Freud on John Constable</i>, London, British Council, 2003","id":"AUTH356924"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"tree, ash","id":"x39196"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["252-1888"],"accessionNumberNum":"252","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1888,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Reynolds catalogue no.","id":"THES50402"},"number":"163, plate 132"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","watercolour"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2005-10-13","availableToBook":false}}