Painted by John Constable (1776-1837) in 1821. The large canvas (4 x 6 feet) portrays a hay wagon crossing the River Stour on the border of Essex and Suffolk. The building on the left is Willy Lott's Cottage, the subject of another Constable painting. William Lott (1761-1849) was a tenant farmer who lived in the cottage his entire life, spending only four nights away. The cottage still stands.
Constable's skill and the pastoral setting have consistently made it voted one of the most popular paintings displayed in England. It's been in the National Gallery since 1886. In July 2022, two barbarians from Just Stop Oil glued themselves to the painting causing minor damage to the surface varnish and frame.
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