The Hay Wain
Encyclopedia
The Hay Wain is a painting by John Constable
, finished in 1821. The painting depicts a rural scene on the River Stour
in Suffolk
. It hangs in the National Gallery London, and is regarded as one of the greatest British paintings.
or large farm cart across a river. The scene is set near a cottage, known by name in another Constable painting as Willy Lott's Cottage
. It is located near Flatford Mill
on the River Stour
in Suffolk
, though because the Stour forms the border of two counties, the left bank is in Suffolk and the landscape on the right bank is in Essex
.
, who was said to have been born in the house and never to have left it for more than four days in his lifetime. Willy Lott's Cottage has survived to this day practically unaltered, but none of the trees in the painting exist today. The water level is higher, as that area of East Anglia
has sunk relative to sea level by one foot (30 cm) since Constable's time.
Although The Hay Wain is revered today as one of the greatest British paintings, when it was originally exhibited at the Royal Academy
in 1821 (under the title Landscape: Noon), it failed to find a buyer. It was considerably better received in France where it was praised by Théodore Géricault
. The painting caused a sensation when it was exhibited with other works by Constable at the 1824 Paris Salon
(it has been suggested that the inclusion of Constable's paintings in the exhibition were a tribute to Géricault, who died early that year). In that exhibition, The Hay Wain was singled out for a gold medal awarded by Charles X of France
, a cast of which is incorporated into the picture's frame. The works by Constable in the exhibition inspired a new generation of French painters, including Eugène Delacroix
.
Sold at the exhibition with three other Constable's to dealer John Arrowsmith, it was returned to England by dealer D.T White, who sold it to a Mr. Young who resided in Ryde
, Isle of Wight
. It was there that it came to the attention of collector Henry Vaughan and C.R Leslie RA. On the death of his friend Mr Young, Vaughan bought the painting from the estate, and in 1886 presented it to the National Gallery
in London, where it still hangs today. The full scale palette-knife sketch which pre-dates it is property of the Victoria and Albert Museum
, bequeathed by Vaughan in his will.
The painting was voted the second best painting in any British gallery in a 2005 poll
organised by the Today programme
in September 2005.
John Constable
John Constable was an English Romantic painter. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home—now known as "Constable Country"—which he invested with an intensity of affection...
, finished in 1821. The painting depicts a rural scene on the River Stour
River Stour, Suffolk
The River Stour is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 76 km long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and joins the...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. It hangs in the National Gallery London, and is regarded as one of the greatest British paintings.
Description
The Hay Wain is painted in oil on canvas. It depicts, as its central feature a horse pulling a hay wainWain
A wain is a type of horse-drawn, load-carrying vehicle, used for agricultural purposes rather than transporting people, for example a haywain. It normally has four wheels but the term has now acquired slightly poetical connotations so is not always used with technical correctness. However, a...
or large farm cart across a river. The scene is set near a cottage, known by name in another Constable painting as Willy Lott's Cottage
Willy Lott's Cottage
Willy Lott's Cottage is a 16th-century cottage in Flatford, East Bergholt, Suffolk, England that features in John Constable's painting, The Hay Wain....
. It is located near Flatford Mill
Flatford Mill
Flatford Mill is a Grade I listed 18th century watermill built in 1733 in Flatford, East Bergholt, Suffolk, England. Attached to the mill is a 17th century miller's cottage which is also Grade I listed....
on the River Stour
River Stour, Suffolk
The River Stour is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 76 km long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and joins the...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, though because the Stour forms the border of two counties, the left bank is in Suffolk and the landscape on the right bank is in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
History
Flatford Mill was owned by Constable's father. The house on the left side of the painting belonged to a neighbour, Willy Lott, a tenant farmerTenant farmer
A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
, who was said to have been born in the house and never to have left it for more than four days in his lifetime. Willy Lott's Cottage has survived to this day practically unaltered, but none of the trees in the painting exist today. The water level is higher, as that area of East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
has sunk relative to sea level by one foot (30 cm) since Constable's time.
Although The Hay Wain is revered today as one of the greatest British paintings, when it was originally exhibited at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1821 (under the title Landscape: Noon), it failed to find a buyer. It was considerably better received in France where it was praised by Théodore Géricault
Théodore Géricault
Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault was a profoundly influential French artist, painter and lithographer, known for The Raft of the Medusa and other paintings...
. The painting caused a sensation when it was exhibited with other works by Constable at the 1824 Paris Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
(it has been suggested that the inclusion of Constable's paintings in the exhibition were a tribute to Géricault, who died early that year). In that exhibition, The Hay Wain was singled out for a gold medal awarded by Charles X of France
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
, a cast of which is incorporated into the picture's frame. The works by Constable in the exhibition inspired a new generation of French painters, including Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school...
.
Sold at the exhibition with three other Constable's to dealer John Arrowsmith, it was returned to England by dealer D.T White, who sold it to a Mr. Young who resided in Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. It was there that it came to the attention of collector Henry Vaughan and C.R Leslie RA. On the death of his friend Mr Young, Vaughan bought the painting from the estate, and in 1886 presented it to the National Gallery
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
in London, where it still hangs today. The full scale palette-knife sketch which pre-dates it is property of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, bequeathed by Vaughan in his will.
The painting was voted the second best painting in any British gallery in a 2005 poll
Greatest Painting in Britain Vote
The Greatest Painting in Britain Vote was a survey made by BBC Radio 4's Today programme in Summer 2005 with the aim of discovering the best-loved painting in Britain, in the manner of 100 Greatest Britons, The Big Read and the Mona Joe...
organised by the Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
in September 2005.