Constable Correspondence volume V : Various Friends (Suffolk Records Society)

The fifth volume of John Constable's Correspondence expands the scope of the series by focusing on letters that highlight a series of friendships and relationships that illuminate various aspects of Constable's life. Taken together, the volume reads much like a social map of the artist's world and reveals his role as a friend, father, intellectual, mentor, and participant within a broad network of artists and literary figures who shaped his life and career. The volume includes correspondence with Constable's children, while a major section is devoted to Charles Boner, initially employed as tutor to Constable's sons, but later a trusted advisor and family confidant. These documents provide a unique insight into the intellectual, social, and familial networks that shaped Constable's work and worldview. Edited with an introduction and notes by R.B. Beckett.