Seascape Study: Brighton Beach looking west

Constable and his wife Maria frequented Brighton in the hope that the sea air would improve her tuberculosis. This sketch has therefore commonly been assigned to one of Constable's visits to Brighton between 1824 and 1828.

Constable drew many oil sketches looking from the beach towards the elegant Chain Pier and looking west towards Worthing. In this study, the expanse of sky and sea is given scale by the inclusion of two windswept figures which gaze out to sea watching the breaking waves. An additional strip of paper had been added to the bottom edge.