David Lucas began engraving this mezzotint in 1834, working closely with John Constable on what became the most ambitious plate of their long collaboration on “English Landscape Scenery.” It depicts Salisbury Cathedral and its famous spire viewed across the water meadows beneath an arching rainbow, a detail Constable obsessed over, writing to Lucas that if the rainbow were not “tender – and elegant – evanescent and lovely” the two of them would be “ruined.” Constable continued revising the plate until his death in 1837, and owing to his constant last-minute changes it was not actually issued for years afterward, making it the unfinished capstone of the pair's partnership. It remains one of the most celebrated mezzotints in the series for its dramatic sky and luminous handling of light.
Printed with archival giclée inks on smooth, acid-free 220 gsm gallery-grade fine-art paper; available in multiple sizes.
