Dedham Vale: Morning

Dedham Vale: Morning is an oil painting created in 1811 by the English landscape artist John Constable. This work is significant as it married Constable's closely observed naturalistic effects with a composition influenced by the 17th-century painter Claude Lorrain. Constable, known for his depictions of the English countryside, particularly the valley of the River Stour, often drew inspiration from his childhood surroundings. He developed a technique of creating full-size oil sketches to resolve compositions before embarking on the final painting, a practice that offers insight into his artistic process.12