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Constable began by painting oil sketches in the landscape, and using them as reference for his pictures. Later he progressed to working on the finished paintings out of doors.

This picture was begun and partly painted from nature in the summer of 1816. Constable was working on it around the time of his father's death. It is a rich summary of his Suffolk boyhood and his father's professional interests, from his corn-mill in the background to the navigation system of the river Stour, which he helped to manage. Constable said the Stour 'made me a pinter (and I am gratefull)'.