"Over email, Berandi told me that until she visited in 2017, when Heritage facilitated a sale for the Historical Society, the new Constable was believed to be one of 85 known copies of this scene, based on Fen Lake, Suffolk. Berandi, however, suspected its authenticity."
"According to Heritage, the work was put through various examinations from cleaning tests to pigment analysis and infrared reflectography. They revealed 'complete consistency with Constable's materials and working methods.' The painting received a 'sensitive restoration' and underwent further study."
"The Jefferson Historical Society and Museum received this work in the late 1960s from then-New York-based Newhouse Galleries, 'to support the initiative of building up this cultural institution,' said Marianne Berardi, co-director of European art at Heritage Auction."
A significant oil study for John Constable's The Cornfield (1826) was rediscovered at the Jefferson Historical Society and Museum in rural Texas after decades of obscurity. The work had been donated to the museum in the late 1960s by New York-based Newhouse Galleries. Initially believed to be one of 85 known copies, Heritage Auctions' Marianne Berardi suspected its authenticity during a 2017 visit. Expert conservators Sarah Cove and art historian Anne Lyles conducted comprehensive scientific examinations including cleaning tests, pigment analysis, and infrared reflectography. These analyses confirmed complete consistency with Constable's materials and working methods. The painting underwent sensitive restoration and further study, revealing new insights into the composition's development. This largest known study for The Cornfield will lead Heritage Auctions' European Art sale in Dallas on June 5.
Read at Artnet News
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