A Windmill near Brighton

A Windmill near Brighton, painted on 3 August 1824, captures one of the windmills on the South Downs above Brighton during Constable’s summer stay. The mill’s angular silhouette against the moving sky provided Constable with a subject that combined his interest in vernacular architecture, working landscapes, and atmospheric effects. These Brighton oil sketches, painted directly from the motif, demonstrate the rapid, confident brushwork that distinguishes Constable’s plein-air studies from his more deliberate exhibition paintings. The V&A holds the largest collection of these Brighton sketches, providing unparalleled documentation of Constable’s direct encounter with the Sussex coast.

Rapid, energetic brushwork captures the movement of wind through the sails and surrounding vegetation. The sky dominates the composition with characteristic Constable cloud formations, painted in thick impasto with a palette knife.

Located in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, this Brighton sketch is part of the series Constable painted during his wife's convalescence. The small oil sketch has been stabilized and cleaned. The rapid paint application is well-preserved, retaining the spontaneous quality of outdoor observation. The work's modest scale has helped protect it from the structural issues that affect larger canvases.