David Lucas (1802-1881) was the English mezzotint engraver who translated John Constable's paintings into print, working so closely with the artist that Constable reworked Lucas's proofs himself until satisfied with every nuance of light and shade. This plate served as the frontispiece to their joint publication “English Landscape Scenery” (also known as “Various Subjects of Landscape, Characteristic of English Scenery”), a series of 22 mezzotints issued in parts between 1830 and 1832. Fittingly, the frontispiece depicts East Bergholt, the Suffolk village where Constable was born and raised, grounding the whole series in the countryside that shaped his art. An impression of this 1830 mezzotint is held in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Printed edge to edge on a soft, durable woven area rug with a comfortable, non-slip feel.
