Who was the eighteenth century English artist who won prominence for his oil landscape paintings?

The eighteenth century English artist who won prominence for his great oil landscape paintings was John Constable. His famous landscapes were mostly of the Suffolk countryside, where he was born and lived. It was reported that he made many open-air sketches, using them as a basis for his large exhibition paintings, which he worked up in the studio.

John Constable (June 1776–March 1837) painted his English landscapes in the Romantic tradition and was known mainly for revolutionizing the genre of landscape painting. His pictures of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home is known as "Constable Country". He invested a good deal of intense affection to the area with his paintings. He wrote to his friend John Fisher in 1821, "I should paint my own places best. Painting is but another word for feeling".

Constable's most famous paintings include "Wivenhoe Park" (1816), "Dedham Vale" (1821), and "The Hay Wain" (1821). Although his paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art, he was never financially successful during his lifetime. His work was popular in France, where he was able to sell it. Later, he became famous in England and inspired the Barbizon school.

He became a true member of the art establishment after he was elected to the Royal Academy at the age of 52.