Painting of the Month

A Golden Age?

Constable shows a serene and picturesque view of the English countryside in his painting. The sun shines, the corn ripens and the farmworkers go about their tasks at a leisurely pace. But the reality of life in 1820s Suffolk was actually very different.

The countryside was suffering serious financial hardship and Suffolk, which had a lot of farmland, was hit particularly badly. The introduction of machinery put many farm labourers out of work and poverty and frustration led to regular riots. Machines were vandalised and haystacks set on fire. Yet no hint of this trouble appears in Constable's peaceful and harmonious world.

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