John Constable was a 19th century English landscape painter known for his realistic depictions of the rural Stour Valley. Born in Suffolk to a mill owner, he entered the Royal Academy in 1800 and painted "Flatford Mill" around 1817, capturing the rural scene and working people near his childhood home which inspired him to become an artist. The painting is on display at the Tate Britain and was created using an impasto technique, with Constable known to do large preparatory sketches.