The landscapes that Constable painted were places where he lived and where he felt a deep personal bond. They were often closely connected with his friendships.

The place he most loved – and the subject of many of his works – was the area around the Stour Valley in Suffolk. This area included the villages of East Bergholt, Dedham, Langham, Stoke-by-Nayland, and Flatford. It was the district where he was born, where he spent his childhood, and where his family lived. Even in Constable’s lifetime, it was known as ‘Constable’s country’.

Constable often visited Salisbury, the home of his closest friend, John Fisher. There, he painted important images of the cathedral and surrounding countryside.

Trying to find a healthy environment for his wife, Maria, and their young family, Constable rented accommodation in Hampstead and in the seaside town of Brighton. Hampstead, on the outskirts of London, was then a small village in fairly rural surroundings.