John Constable, R.A. (East Bergholt 1776-1837 Hampstead)

The present drawing illustrates the tower of St Michael's church, Framlingham, one of Suffolk's most elegant churches. The drawing probably dates from the same year (1815) as three drawings of Framlingham Castle, all in public collections (G. Reynolds, The Early Paintings and Drawings of John Constable, New Haven and London, 1996, p. 208, nos. 15.17 and 15.19 in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and no. 15.20 in the Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, illustrated pls. 1229, 1227 and 1241 respectively). An earlier drawing of the Castle of 1800, like the present example from the collections of Sir Robert Witt, is in the Courtauld Institute Galleries (Reynolds, op. cit., p. 27, no. 00.11, pl. 100).