On The Stour

‘On the Stour’ is a small oil painting done by John Constable in 1823. The painting initially caught my eye simply due to how small it was as it was surrounded by larger paintings in the gallery. But once I got closer to it I started to properly look at the painting. The painting was very clearly done quickly as to capture a fleeting moment that Constable was seeing. The quick and heavily layered paint is very reminiscent of a lot of the works by the impressionst. The details of the subject start to become clear the longer you look at the painting, for example I had not noticed the firgure standing on the bridge on the far left initially. The painting is of a barge being drawn out of a dry dock on a trolly drawn by horses. I think it stands out as one of the more unique paintings in the national gallery.