Constable is famous for his landscapes, which are mostly of the Suffolk countryside, where he was born and lived. Constable’s most famous paintings include Wivenhoe Park (1816), Dedham Vale (1821) and The Hay Wain (1821). His paintings are now among the most popular and valuable in British art however, he was never financially successful.

His work transformed the landscape painting genre and shaped the enduring popular image of the English countryside. 

This painting depicts a farm scene on the River Stour between the English counties of Suffolk and Essex.

land ownership – from the image we can see a man working the land however, I believe he is not the land owner he is instead the labourer working for the owner.

land use – The area of land that we can see appears to be used for farming or some form of agriculture. The pond serves as a cooling system for the horses as this picture is set in the summer where temperatures would’ve been high and to enable the horse to work in this heat they walk him through the cool water.

Class – The man in the picture is working class as we believe he’s the labourer for the owner of the land. The land owner however, would most likely be upper class as they could afford a large area of land and to employ workers.

Changing times – The picture, painted in 1821, depicts a time before the industrial revolution. This is a time the romanticists wanted to cherish and protect from the damage that factories and machinery would do to the natural landscape.

Industrial revolution – The picture was painted pre-industrial revolution which is why they’re using a horse and cart to transport things and just using the old fashioned techniques and technologies rather than machinery.