Who painted A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt?

A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt was painted by John Constable in 31.

Where can I see A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt?

A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt?

A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt?

Museum-quality prints of A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt

John Constable , 31

A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist John Constable. It dates from 31 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

John Constable’s watercolour, titled A barn, trees and a grey horse, near East Bergholt, captures a modest countryside tableau. Rendered in a light, sketch‑like manner, the work presents a weathered barn beneath a spreading tree, a grazing grey horse, and a softly clouded sky, all composed with an economy of detail that emphasizes the quiet rhythm of rural life.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a solitary barn shaded by a mature tree, its sloping roof and worn planks suggesting long use. A grey horse, calmly feeding on the surrounding grass, adds a sense of domestic activity. Together the elements convey Constable’s interest in ordinary English farm scenery, highlighting the harmony between built structures, animals, and the natural environment.

Technique & Style

Executed in watercolour, the piece relies on loose, rapid brushwork that gives the scene a spontaneous, almost impressionistic feel. The palette remains muted, with soft greens, earthy browns, and a pale sky, while the translucency of the medium allows light to filter through the foliage and barn walls, reinforcing the work’s sketch‑like quality.

History & Provenance

Constable submitted this watercolour to the Royal Academy’s 1832 exhibition, where it was displayed alongside his other landscape studies. The painting later entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of 19th‑century British art.

Cottages at East Bergholt, John Constable

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Artist & collection

Artist

John Constable

John Constable was an English landscape painter in the Romantic tradition. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for revolutionising the genre of landscape painting with his pictures of Dedham Vale, the area on the…