The Hay Wain
by John Constable, 1821
StyleRomanticism
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1821
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 130.2 cm × 185.4 cm
Cite or Embed This Work
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John Constable painted The Hay Wain in 1821, depicting a rural scene on the River Stour between Suffolk and Essex. Three horses pull a hay wagon (or "wain") through the shallow water. Willy Lott's Cottage stands on the left bank. Lott was a tenant farmer said to have never left his home for more than four days in his entire life. Constable's father owned the mill nearby.
Originally titled "Landscape: Noon," the painting failed to find a buyer at the Royal Academy that year. It did much better in France. At the 1824 Paris Salon, King Charles X awarded Constable a gold medal, and the work inspired younger French painters including Delacroix. English recognition came later.
The canvas measures 130.2 by 185.4 centimeters and hangs at the National Gallery in London. Henry Vaughan bequeathed it in 1886. A 2005 BBC poll ranked it the second most popular painting in British galleries, behind only Turner's Fighting Temeraire. The cottage in the painting still stands, barely changed from Constable's day.
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About The Hay Wain
It's at the National Gallery in London. John Constable painted it in 1821. Along with Turner, Constable defined the golden age of British landscape painting.
A horse-drawn cart (wain) crossing a shallow ford on the River Stour at Flatford Mill in Suffolk, England. A cottage sits on the left bank, a dog watches from the water's edge, and fields stretch to the horizon under a cloud-filled sky. It depicts an ordinary rural moment with quiet grandeur.
When shown at the 1824 Paris Salon, it caused a sensation. French painters, including Delacroix, were amazed by Constable's fresh, direct observation of nature and his broken brushwork. Delacroix reportedly repainted parts of his own Massacre at Chios after seeing The Hay Wain. It directly influenced French Romantic painting.
It measures 130.2 cm × 185.4 cm (51.3 × 73 inches). Constable painted it in his London studio from sketches and oil studies made outdoors at Flatford. The green landscape and changeable English sky showcase his ability to capture natural light and weather.
Yes. Flatford Mill and Willy Lott's Cottage (the building on the left) still stand in Suffolk and look much the same. The area is now known as 'Constable Country' and is a popular destination for visitors. The National Trust maintains the site.
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