drawing
- Museum number
- 1896,0821.16
- Description
-
Soldier, possibly James Gubbins, playing guitar; in uniform and helmet, seated r, playing guitar to young woman, possibly one of his sisters, to left
Graphite
- Production date
- 1806 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 233 millimetres
-
Width: 178 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Martin Gayford and Anne Lyles, the authors of the 2009 exhibition catalogue 'Constable Portraits', note that in 1806 Constable made several sketches of social scenes in the Lake District and other places, including Ipswich, Epsom and Tottenham, including this drawing and three others in the British Museum (1896,1821.6, 17, 18). Some of them may have been studies for portraits but others were drawn for the 'sheer pleasure in recording his human surroundings' (p. 92). Here the soldier playing the guitar is probably the 28-year-old James Gubbins, an officer in the 13th Light Dragoons, with one of his sisters, Anne Elizabeth or Jane.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1976 Feb-May, London, Tate Gallery, 'Constable', no. 66
1980 BM, 'British Figure Drawings' (no.cat)
2009 Mar-Jun, London, NPG, Constable Portraits.., no. 17.
2009 Jul-Sep, Warwc, Compton Verney, Constable Portraits..., no. 17
- Acquisition date
- 1896
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1896,0821.16