Spectacular skies: dawns and dusks in our collections
Painting in the elements
Some painters felt that the best way to capture the colours and atmosphere of the sky was to work outdoors, as John Chu, National Trust Assistant Curator of Pictures and Sculpture, explains:
‘When an artist paints out in the landscape instead of inside the studio, it is known as working “en plein air”, which is French for "in the open air".
'Although this might present obstacles (think of the wind, rain and insects), the results can more than make up for it.
'Working in front of the view allows you to respond directly to nature’s fleeting effects of light, colour and atmosphere.
'Sometimes, if a painter works with enough skill and speed, a sense of how they felt in that moment, as well as what they could see, is captured forever.’
John Constable (1776–1837) regularly painted outside. This oil sketch of Harnham Ridge, near Salisbury, in the collection at Upton House, Warwickshire, was painted en plein air.
" Working in front of the view allows you to respond directly to nature’s fleeting effects of light, colour and atmosphere."