Flatford Mill from a Lock on the Stour 1811

John Constable made this oil painting, Flatford Mill from a Lock on the Stour, in England during the early nineteenth century. The scene depicts the rural English countryside where industry meets nature. Here, the mill represents industrial progress, while the natural landscape around it reflects a more traditional way of life. The painting offers a sense of harmony between the two. We can study how this balance played out in reality using resources that reveal the social and economic transformations of England at the time. For example, parish records, trade directories and local newspapers reveal how rural communities adapted to the rise of manufacturing and the movement of labor from agriculture to industry. Constable's painting invites us to reflect on how we remember and represent the past. Art historians use archives and collections, combined with a sensitivity to cultural context, to better understand the artist's message, along with its relevance for us today.