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Is it OK to copy?

I'm always intrigued by people who look down their noses at fellow artists who copy the work of other painters.

I'm fascinated by this example of the supreme master of the landscape, John Constable, copying a work by Ruisdael that was painted almost 200 years before him in 1650. What's more, Constable got paid for it. Figure out which is the copy.

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Comment by John Moriarty on March 17, 2015 at 15:46: Well you learn something new every day!!! Methinks I too will have a go at copying some of Constable's piccies. Maybe on the wall of our house! ;)

Comment by Dick Donaghue on February 5, 2015 at 11:30: Of course the masters copied and learned from the previous masters. And it's a great exercise. But I doubt you could post your copy as a Plein Air one? (Even if you copied it outdoord. Lol!)

Comment by Sean Quinn on January 18, 2015 at 23:25: Thanks Dee, Caroline and Sally for your comments. With your usual perspicacity Caroline you have correctly identified the copy. And Sally, I always find that reference to the discovery of milking very funny. As yourself and Dee are inquiring where this stuff came from the answer is this. Elizabeth sent me a link to ARTWEEKLY.ORG who send out art stuff almost daily. Perusing the site there was an item about the present exhibition of Old Masters etc at the Dulwich Art Gallery. London. To make it interesting they ordered online from China , for 120 pounds, a copy of one of the old masters and they have that hung in the middle of about 180 genuine paintings, even in the original frame, so people can try to discover it. On the site they also display Ruisdale's painting and Constable's copy, which I also found amazing , even down to the exact detail in the clouds.

Here's the link

http://dulwichonview.org.uk/2014/05/27/landscape-with-windmills-nea...

Comment by Sally Downey on January 18, 2015 at 20:31: Sean that's amazing and enlightening to see that Constable obviously found it a useful exercise to copy from his older and betters. And in such detail! I guess he was practising Measuring that day. It makes a great Spot the Difference game. I think he got a bit fed up when it came to putting in the details of the animals(?) on the left just below the building - that is assuming the one on the right is Constable's. But having gone to such trouble with the drawing why are the colours so different. Have the reds leached out of Ruisdael's?

Have you come across any more? And, as the fellow was asked who discovered that milk came from a cow, what were you doing when you found this one?

By the way thanks for the comments on my effort. I could do a bit of copying of Ruisdael's ruts myself.