Revisiting a
masterpiece
PROJECTArt tutors ROB AND SIÂN DUDLEY visit the site of Constable’s The Hay Wain to
share new and creative ways of painting landscapes made famous by an Old MasterW
e regularly spend several
weeks a year teaching
courses at Flatford Mill
in Suffolk, yet neither of us has ever
painted either the iconic view across
the mill pond or Willy Lott’s House.
It is a beautiful spot, and there is so
much there that is inspirational, so
what is holding us back?
Flatford Mill is a quintessential
English landscape, made famous by
John Constable’s 1821 painting The
Hay Wain. The mill was acquired by
the National Trust in 1943 and eachyear thousands of people visit the
John Constable – Flatford: Life, Work
& Inspiration exhibition and wander
through the landscapes he painted.
The Hay Wain is one of the best-
known paintings in the history of
British art. And therein lies the
problem.
It is very difficult to study the
landscape with a view to painting
it without having a mental image
of The Hay Wain overlaying what
you are looking at. There is also the
knowledge that your audience willundoubtedly compare your work
to that of the great man himself.
Daunting thoughts.
Painting any such iconic subject,
or referencing any well-known image,
can be intimidating, subduing your
creativity. So how do you avoid your
painting being overly influenced by
the original?
While any such iconic landscape
could be tackled for this project,
The Hay Wain is a great place to start,
not only because the surrounding
“Constable Country” provides so © THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON. PRESENTED BY HENRY VAUGHAN, 1886ABOVE John
Constable, The
Hay Wain, 1821,
oil on canvas,
130.2x185.4cm