John Constable
If I had to describe Constable's painting in one word, I would just say anger. The skies and the water that are portrayed in his paintings are are not quite terrifying, but rather uncomfortable to look at: clouds are chaotic, threatening, violent, dark, and water looks to me suffocating and oppressive. John Constable sure has really beautiful paintings, but I would never like to visit those landscapes he painted.
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| Violent skies and water on Constable's paintings |
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| Bonington's 'La Ferte' |
Richard Parkes Bonington
It is clear that unlike the Luminists, Bonington didn't focused on delicate brushworks and painted not quite defined figures. When I saw those brush marks on Bonington's 'La Ferte' (Figure on the left), all I could think about is that it seems that he made such an imperfect brushwork that actually turns out to be perfect for his paintings. Those blurred and somehow sort of abstract figures on Bonington's paintings send the spectator to an atmosphere of loneliness and thoughtfulness that I-as a inexperienced painter- can say it's difficult to catch.
J.M.W Turner
As much as Constable, J.M.W Turner captures a quite violent atmosphere in his paintings. Whether he paints water in a peaceful shore or the turbulent ocean, Turner's landscapes provide a sort of dismal and catastrophic panorama. Even in his self-portrait, Turner expresses an angry and suspicious look... It is actually a really thrilling painting.
These three painters are ALWAYS grouped together, but are very different, as you point out. Turner is a candidate as my favorite painter ever – “thrilling” is a very good word. He really was doing Impressionism before the Impressionists.
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