Lacking 'that necessary article - cash', Maria and John's courtship was never going to be easy, not when Maria's family begin to make their disapproval felt. Read by Anton Lesser. Show more

Despite fierce opposition to the courtship from Maria's influential grandfather, John is determined to marry and to succeed as a painter. Read by Anton Lesser. Show more

After John and Maria finally married, the serious production of both paintings and children could begin. Read by Anton Lesser. Show more

Passion, money and art - the story of John Constable and his pursuit of the love of his life. Read by Anton Lesser.

Constable first met Maria Bicknell, the daughter of a wealthy lawyer, in the Suffolk village of East Bergholt when he was 24 and she was 12. Nine years later they began courting. Show more