{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O17291"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O17291/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AN8022/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AN8022/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AN8022","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AP2070","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AN8026","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AE9585","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KE2364","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LK4164","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O17291/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O17291","accessionNumber":"FA.37[O]","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"Boat-Building near Flatford Mill","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"This oil painting portrays the construction of a barge at a dry-dock owned by Constable's father. It is based on a tiny pencil drawing in a sketchbook at the V&A. Constable painted the landscape entirely in the open air. His biographer C. R. Leslie praised its 'atmospheric truth', such that 'the tremulous vibration of the heated air near the ground seems visible'.","physicalDescription":"The scene is a pleasant summer's day on the banks of the river Stour.  A barge is being constructed in Constable's father's boat-yard by the mill to carry his flour down to Mistley in Essex on its way to London.  The unfinished boat is shown with a degree of detail unusual for Constable, but it is not painted with any more care than the surrounding trees.  The general effect is of a placid, tranquil and uneventful day.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Constable, John (RA)","id":"A8267"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil paint","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"canvas","id":"AAT14078"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"oil on canvas","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Maritime","id":"THES260021"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AN8022","2006AP2070","2006AN8026","2006AE9585","2017KE2364","2019LK4164"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SHLN","id":"THES49063"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil paintings","id":"AAT33799"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1815","earliest":"1815-01-01","latest":"1815-12-31"},"association":{"text":"exhibited","id":"x30227"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"50.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"61.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"73.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Frame","note":"Taken from frame"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"84.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Frame","note":"Taken from frame"},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"11","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"2024","earliest":"2024-01-01","latest":"2024-12-31"},"part":"frame","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from <i>Catalogue of the Constable Collection</i>, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857","historicalContext":"In 1815 Constable exhibited five paintings and three drawings at the Royal Academy, including 'Boat-building' (No. 137).  His mother died early this year and he was in Suffolk in May.  He left London again for Suffolk on 6 July and remained there most of the year, being detained during December by his father's serious illness.\r\n\r\n[G Reynolds, 1973, p. 106]","briefDescription":"Oil painting entitled 'Boat-Building near Flatford Mill' by John Constable.  Great Britain, 1815.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Parris, Leslie and Fleming-Williams, Ian. <i>Constable </i> London : The Tate Gallery, 1991","id":"AUTH354806"},"details":"no.72","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Catalogue of the Constable Collection</u>, Graham Reynolds, Victoria and Albert Museum, London: HMSO, 1973, pp. 106, 107"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>100 Great Paintings in The Victoria & Albert Museum</u>,London: V&A, 1985, p.106"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Evans, M., with N. Costaras and C. Richardson, <u>John Constable. Oil Sketches from the Victoria and Albert Museum</u>, London: V&A, 2011, p. 20, fig. 14."},{"reference":{"text":"Feaver, William, <i>Lucian Freud on John Constable</i>, London, British Council, 2003","id":"AUTH356924"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"Exhibited, Royal Academy","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Dockyards","id":"AAT120803"},{"text":"Boats","id":"AAT178749"},{"text":"figures","id":"AAT189808"},{"text":"Landscape","id":"x31100"},{"text":"shipbuilders","id":"AAT25424"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["FA.37[O]"],"accessionNumberNum":"37","accessionNumberPrefix":"FA","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Reynolds catalogue no.","id":"THES50402"},"number":"137, plate 95"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-13","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}