Spot the Constable
November 17 2020
Picture: The Wallace Collection & Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's are offering a very intriguing copy in their December old master paintings day sale.
Between 1831-4 the British artist John Constable made a copy of Jean-Baptiste Greuze's Girl with Doves specifically for his friend Cordelia, Lady Jackson. The artist had written to the then owner of the Greuze in 1831 explaining "This friend of mine has a dear little daughter, taken from her by an unkind husband. She pines for her child - this picture [The Greuze] is the exact image of the soft lovely girl, of whom she is bereft, & without any memorial.' The copy was completed by 1834 and sent to Lady Jackson who paid 30 pounds for it.
The Greuze is now owned by the Wallace Collection in London. I have put them side by side above in no particularly order. Can you spot the copy?
Once you've decided, click here to see the original Greuze and here to see an image of the Constable copy coming up at Sotheby's (which carries as estimate of £15k - £20k I should probably add).
