National Gallery of Australia | Audio Tour | Constable

Lucas began the plate for A summerland before 26 December 1829 when Constable requested four proofs of it (Beckett IV, p. 323). He based it on the first version of A ploughing scene in Suffolk (A summerland) 1814 . He made at least eight progress proof variations before the published state, of which this is the seventh. During the proofing the sky and the middle ground were reworked. In the list of contents for English Landscape this mezzotint was called A Summerland, Rainy Day; Ploughmen. – Noon. Heysen wrote: ‘I feel elated at the inclusion of … A Summerland’ (Heysen, 30 September 1948, NLA MS 5073/1/7182).