Discover Constable & The Hay Wain Exhibition Catalogue

Accompanies the exhibition at the National Gallery, London, 17 October 2024–2 February 2025.

John Constable produced his most famous painting, The Hay Wain, in his London studio in 1821. It depicts an empty wooden wagon entering the shallow water alongside his father’s mill in Flatford, and evokes the artist’s personal and emotional connection to the scene.  

Before creating the final work, Constable made multiple open-air sketches and paintings of the area, many of which are illustrated here, as well as a full-size oil sketch to establish the composition. At the time, The Hay Wain was seen as a radical portrayal of the Suffolk countryside and divided critics. However, it received great acclaim at the Paris Salon of 1824, the same year that the National Gallery was founded. Now, 200 years later, it is regarded as an iconic representation of the English landscape and a favourite work in the Gallery’s collection.  

This publication tells the story of the painting and its social, political and art historical significance. It begins by examining artistic depictions of rural England and explores how the country’s landscape was changing physically and politically at the turn of the nineteenth century. Other chapters consider Constable’s life and career prior to producing The Hay Wain; the making of the painting itself; the work’s exhibition in Britain and internationally; and its influential afterlife. Providing fresh perspectives on this celebrated painting, the book illuminates the establishment of Constable as a central figure in the history of British art.

Authors

Christine Riding is Director of Collections and Research at the National Gallery, London.

Mary McMahon is Associate Curator NG200 Collections at the National Gallery, London.

With contributions by Jenny Gaschke, Anne Lyles and Emma Roodhouse.