A Windmill on the Downs near Brighton

A Windmill on the Downs near Brighton, painted in August 1824, captures one of the Sussex windmills that punctuated the chalk downland above the coastal resort. During the summers of 1824–1828, Constable brought his family to Brighton for Maria’s health, and the windmills of the South Downs provided subjects that combined his interest in working rural architecture with the dramatic coastal light and weather. The windmill’s angular form against the vast sky creates a composition of bold simplicity. These Brighton-period works demonstrate Constable’s ability to find compelling subjects outside his beloved Suffolk, adapting his naturalistic approach to the different character of the Sussex landscape.

The windmill stands as a bold silhouette against a dramatically painted sky. Constable's palette knife work is evident in the sky, creating thick ridges of paint that catch real light and enhance the painting's atmospheric vitality.

Part of the V&A's collection, this Brighton study from August 1824 records a windmill on the downs above the town. The small oil sketch has been stabilized. The work retains its spontaneous quality. The painting is in good condition, with the sky and landscape passages well-preserved.