East Bergholt Church, from the South-West

Constable was born in East Bergholt, Suffolk, and the village church features more often in his work than any other subject. This drawing is unusual in its size and finish. He preferred to make small on-the-spot studies in sketchbooks. Constable’s skilful use of a combination of hard and soft graphite pencils is particularly evident in the treatment of the varied textures of the crumbling masonry, delineated with strong contrasts between dark and light.