Salisbury Cathedral From the Meadows
1829
Before John Constable ever touched a canvas for his famous Salisbury Cathedral masterpiece, he spent hours outdoors with his sketchbook, chasing the English weather. This lively drawing shows the cathedral spire rising in the distance, framed by loose, scribbled trees and a dramatic, sweeping sky. It’s a perfect example of how Romantic artists obsessed over the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. You can almost see Constable’s hand moving quickly across the paper, trying to capture a specific moment before the clouds shifted forever.