Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B2001.2.25
Gallery Label:
St. Paul's Cathedral and the City of London (the business center and heart of the city) are visible on the horizon in this view from a high point in Hampstead. Hampstead's elevated vantage point allowed Constable to contrast the relatively rural nature of these suburban surroundings with the smoky metropolis below. The painting takes its name from the most famous resident of the simple white cottage on the right. In the eighteenth century the Anglo-Irish essayist and playwright Sir Richard Steele had for a time taken refuge from his creditors there, and the legend added another layer of anachronistic charm to life in Hampstead.\n\n Gallery label for An American's Passion for British Art - Paul Mellon's Legacy (Yale Center for British Art, 2007-04-18 - 2007-07-29)