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Lot Essay
The present drawing has been dated to July 1809, on the basis of another drawing entitled Malvern Hall, the Entrance Front; and Solihull Church, which is inscribed 'left Town for Malvern - Saturday July 15 1809', see G. Reynolds, op.cit., no. 09.16, which is from the same sketchbook.
Malvern Hall was the seat of Henry Greswold Lewis. Constable had met Lewis through the Dysart family; Magdalena, Dowager Countess of Dysart was Lewis's sister. The object of Constable's visit was to execute a portrait of Lewis's ward Mary Freer, Reynolds, op.cit., no. 09.23, but Constable also made a number of landscape drawings in the same sketchbook and three oil paintings of the house; see Reynolds, op.cit., nos. 09.17-19.
Malvern Hall was the seat of Henry Greswold Lewis. Constable had met Lewis through the Dysart family; Magdalena, Dowager Countess of Dysart was Lewis's sister. The object of Constable's visit was to execute a portrait of Lewis's ward Mary Freer, Reynolds, op.cit., no. 09.23, but Constable also made a number of landscape drawings in the same sketchbook and three oil paintings of the house; see Reynolds, op.cit., nos. 09.17-19.