Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River) Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River) Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River) is an oil painting by English artist John Constable, painted in 1816. It is Constable's largest exhibition canvas to be painted mainly outdoors, the first of his large "six-foot" paintings, and the first in the "Stour series" which later included "The Hay Wain". It is owned and exhibited at the Tate Britain gallery in London. "Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River)" is painted in oil on canvas. It depicts a working rural scene from Suffolk, as two lighter barges and their crew progress up the
The Hay Wain be connected with Fathers 4 Justice, glued a photograph of a young boy to the painting while it was on display at the National Gallery. The work was not permanently damaged. It has been suggested that the reason for the wagon stopping at the ford was to allow the river water to cool the horses' legs and to soak the wheels. In hot dry weather, the wooden wheels would shrink away from their metal rims. Wetting the wheels reduced the shrinkage and kept the outer metal band in place. The Hay Wain The Hay Wain is a painting by John