text:  The incidents of a painter's life in fact are the foundation of his character the gradual development to his own mind of the principles of his art; and with Constable's thoughts and opinions his habits of study the growth of his style--if that term can be applied to the manner of one whose great anxiety it was to have no distinguishable _style_ whatever--with his manly frank affectionate and somewhat hasty disposition with his strong self-reliance and as we may sometimes think his overweening self-esteem--his strength of mind and his weaknesses--this volume makes us familiarly acquainted