Pissarro, Renoir, Constable and Monet. Their names read like a Who’s Who entry of 19th century creative luminaries. Instantly recognisable, their paintings adorn the walls of the greatest galleries in the world. Occasionally, their work becomes available on the open market, and when they do, they tend to break all the records. In July 2012 John Constable’s The Lock became one of the most expensive British paintings ever sold when it fetched £22.4m at Christie’s. Monet’s Haystack reached $81.4m in 2016 and in 2014 a Pissarro sold for £19.9m at Sotheby’s. What these artists all had in common – for they were not all Impressionists – was that they all painted en plein air: the art of painting outdoors.
Pioneered by Constable, the en plein air movement revolutionised landscape painting and brought a fresh new perspective to the stuffy art world. Of course, we can’t all afford to bid for a Constable or a Renoir, but mercifully there’s a new cohort of young, Tatler-esque en plein air artists making waves – sometimes quite literally – and their paintings are perfect for aspiring and seasoned collectors alike. Here, Tatler takes a look at the en plein air artists everyone is talking about.