Willy Lott's House, near Flatford Mill

Willy Lott's House near Flatford Mill is one of the most famous buildings in English art, immortalized in Constable's "The Hay Wain" (1821). This study from 1810-15 shows the house from a closer viewpoint than the famous painting. According to Constable, Willy Lott was born in the house and never spent more than four days away from it in his entire life — a symbol of rootedness that resonated deeply with Constable's own attachment to the Stour Valley.

The study renders the timber-framed house with careful descriptive detail, its whitewashed walls reflected in the mill stream. The surrounding trees are painted with rich, varied greens that frame the warm tones of the building.

This study of Willy Lott's House from about 1810-1815 is in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The building, which appears in The Hay Wain and other major works, was a subject Constable returned to throughout his career. The canvas has been stabilized and cleaned. The architectural detail and surrounding landscape are well-preserved. Willy Lott's House still stands today, largely unchanged, maintained by the National Trust.