plate no. 4409

Old Sarum

watercolor, paperRomanticismlandscapelandscapeskycloudshillfiguretrees

what to study here

It shows how a watercolor can hold a large, turbulent sky and a small, quiet focal point together through value control and restraint.

The sky takes up more than half the sheet, and that is the first thing to study: how much of the picture is given to weather, and how little is given to the hill. The clouds run from deep purple-gray darks to bare-paper whites, with soft halos where wet pigment met wet paper. A bright diagonal of cloud highlight sweeps down toward the hill, so the eye is led to it. Check the value structure by squinting. You should see three bands: dark sky, mid-tone hill and trees, light foreground and distance. The hill is warm ochre with pale chalky slopes, and its dark fortified summit is among the darkest notes, so it reads against the storm. Trees are simple dark shapes, the distance is pale and vague, and the figure with a dog is barely defined, just enough to give human scale. Notice the restraint: loose, wet-on-wet handling in the sky, suggestion rather than detail below. Note also the faint haze or rain at the right edge, which adds to the unsettled weather.

key decision

The painter gave over half the composition to a dark, wet-blended sky and kept the hill pale and warm beneath it, with the dark summit fortifications as the sharpest contrast. Detail was held back in the trees, distance and figure.

From the record

Institution: Victoria and Albert Museum
Location: Victoria and Albert Museum
Inception: 1834

Wikipedia article Wikidata item Q139720432

from the sources

Old Sarum is an 1834 landscape painting by John Constable that depicts Old Sarum in Wiltshire in watercolour. en.wikipedia.org
“It features a watercolour depiction of Old Sarum in Wiltshire.”
The painting was made near the end of Constable's career. en.wikipedia.org
“The painting was produced near to the end of Constable's career.”
The stormy background reflects the expressive romanticism of Constable's work, including his interest in skies. en.wikipedia.org
“The stormy background reflects the expressive romanticism that featured in Constable's work, particularly his interest in skies which frequently appeared in his oil paintings.”
The painting was shown at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1834 at Somerset House in London. en.wikipedia.org
“The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1834 held at Somerset House in London.”
The painting is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, bequeathed by Constable's daughter Isabel in 1888 as part of the Constable Bequest. en.wikipedia.org
“It is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, having been bequeathed by the artist's daughter Isabel in 1888 as part of the Constable Bequest.”
In 2025 the painting was lent to Tate Britain for the exhibition Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals. en.wikipedia.org
“In 2025 it was lent to the Tate Britain for the exhibition Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals.”

recreation guide

Old Sarum (1834) is a watercolor landscape by John Constable, produced near the end of his career. It depicts the ancient hillfort in Wiltshire, a subject Constable frequently painted while working near Salisbury. The work is characterized by a stormy background that reflects the expressive Romanticism of Constable’s later period, particularly his intense interest in skies and atmospheric effects, which he also explored in his oil paintings (Source 1). Constable’s approach to landscape was grounded in direct observation; he believed that 'painting is but another word for feeling' and sought to capture the specific light and weather conditions of the moment rather than relying on imagination or formula (Source 2, Source 3). His watercolors from this period, such as Stonehenge (1835), are noted for their remarkable freedom and expressive power, often conveying a sense of immediacy and emotional resonance through vigorous handling of the medium (Source 3).

estimated time

10-15 hours over 3-4 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

5 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
High-quality watercolor paper (cold-pressed, heavy weight)	To support wet-on-wet techniques and resist buckling during the application of stormy sky effects.	300gsm (140lb) cold-pressed cotton paper, e.g., Arches or Saunders Waterford.
Professional-grade watercolor paints	To achieve the transparency and vibrancy required for Constable’s expressive sky studies and landscape details.	Pan or tube watercolors with high pigment load (e.g., Winsor & Newton Cotman or Daniel Smith).
Soft bristle brushes (round and flat)	For applying broad washes for the sky and finer details for the foreground ruins.	Sable or synthetic round brushes (sizes 2, 6, 12) and a flat wash brush.
White gouache or opaque watercolor (optional)	Constable sometimes used opaque touches for highlights, particularly in cloud studies, though his watercolors are primarily transparent.	White gouache or opaque white watercolor.
Pencil (graphite or charcoal)	For initial underdrawing and compositional sketches.	HB or 2B graphite pencil.

preparation

surface prep

Constable’s watercolors were executed on paper, likely prepared with a light ground or left raw depending on the desired effect. For a recreation, stretch the paper to prevent buckling during wet washes. Constable’s practice involved direct observation and sketching from nature, so the surface should be ready for immediate application without extensive priming that would dull the paper’s tooth (Source 3, Source 4).

underdrawing

Constable emphasized sketching directly from nature, stating, 'When I sit down to make a sketch from nature, the first thing I try to do is to forget that I have ever seen a picture' (Source 3). The underdrawing should be loose and observational, capturing the essential forms of the Old Sarum ruins and the horizon line without rigid outlining. Use light pencil strokes to mark key structural elements and the placement of the stormy sky.

underpainting

In watercolor, the 'underpainting' is effectively the first layer of washes. Constable’s technique involved building up layers to convey light and atmosphere. Begin with a very light wash for the sky and distant hills to establish the tonal foundation. This aligns with his practice of using broken brushstrokes and scumbling to create the impression of sparkling light (Source 4).

color palette

Stormy Grey-Blue

Payne’s Gray, Ultramarine Blue, and a touch of Burnt Umber

The stormy background and sky, reflecting Constable’s interest in expressive atmospheric effects (Source 1).

Earthy Ochre/Brown

Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, and Raw Umber

The foreground ruins and landscape of Old Sarum, consistent with Constable’s earthy palette for Wiltshire scenes.

Bright White/Highlight

Reserved paper white or opaque white gouache

Highlights in the clouds and rain effects, capturing the 'sparkling light' Constable sought to convey (Source 4).

Green-Grey

Viridian, Yellow Ochre, and a touch of Blue

Distant vegetation and atmospheric perspective in the landscape.

composition

The composition features Old Sarum in Wiltshire, with a stormy background that dominates the upper portion of the painting, reflecting Constable’s focus on skies as 'the key note, the standard of scale, and the chief organ of sentiment' (Source 1, Source 4). The ruins are likely placed in the lower foreground or middle ground, grounding the dramatic sky. Constable’s compositional habit involved testing arrangements through full-scale preliminary sketches, so the layout should feel balanced yet dynamic, with the sky providing emotional weight (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→first pass→refining→finishing

underdrawing

step 01
Lightly sketch the horizon line and the basic forms of the Old Sarum ruins using a pencil. Keep lines loose and observational, avoiding rigid outlines.
Tip — Focus on the relationship between the ruins and the sky, ensuring the sky occupies a significant portion of the composition.
Direct observation sketching

first pass

step 02
Apply a light wash of grey-blue to the sky area, working wet-on-wet to create soft transitions. Allow some areas to remain lighter to suggest breaking clouds.
Tip — Work quickly to capture the fleeting effects of light and weather, as Constable believed 'no two days are alike' (Source 3).
Wet-on-wet wash

refining

step 03
Add darker tones to the sky to build up the stormy atmosphere. Use broken brushstrokes and scumbling techniques to create texture and movement in the clouds.
Tip — Avoid overworking the sky; maintain a sense of immediacy and expressiveness.
Broken brushstrokes and scumbling
step 04
Paint the foreground ruins with earthy ochres and browns. Use drier brushwork to suggest the texture of stone and earth.
Tip — Ensure the foreground anchors the composition and contrasts with the atmospheric sky.
Dry brush technique

finishing

step 05
Add final highlights to the clouds and ruins using reserved white paper or opaque white gouache. Enhance the contrast between light and dark areas to emphasize the stormy mood.
Tip — Step back frequently to assess the overall balance and emotional impact of the painting.
Highlighting and contrast enhancement

critical techniques

Broken Brushstrokes

Constable used small, broken touches of color to convey the effects of light and movement, creating an impression of sparkling light enveloping the landscape (Source 4).

Scumbling

He scumbled lighter passages over darker ones to create texture and atmospheric depth, particularly in the sky (Source 4).

Direct Observation

Constable insisted on painting from nature, forgetting previous pictures to capture the genuine production of art distinct from formula (Source 3).

common pitfalls

→Overworking the sky: Constable’s skies are expressive but retain a sense of immediacy. Avoid muddy tones by keeping washes clean and layered.
→Rigid outlining: Constable rebelled against formulaic composition. Keep lines loose and suggestive rather than definitive.
→Ignoring atmospheric perspective: Ensure the sky and distant elements recede properly to create depth and mood.

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific pigment recipes used by Constable for Old Sarum are not detailed in the sources.
·The exact dimensions and paper type of the original Old Sarum watercolor are not specified.
·Detailed step-by-step layering sequence for this specific painting is not provided, only general techniques.

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Old Sarum (painting)↗
- Old Sarum (painting) — part 1 — applied to Context of the painting, stormy background, and Constable’s interest in skies.
Wikipedia bio — John Constable↗
- John Constable — part 1 — applied to Constable’s philosophy of painting as feeling and his connection to landscape.
- John Constable — part 8 — applied to Compositional principles, rejection of formula, and importance of direct observation.
- John Constable — part 9 — applied to Techniques of broken brushstrokes, scumbling, and sky studies.

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

The sky dominates, occupying over half the composition with turbulent gray-purple clouds punctuated by brilliant white highlights; light source comes from the left-center, throwing dramatic shadows across the cloud mass. The rounded hill of Old Sarum sits central in the mid-ground, rendered in warm ochre with chalky white slopes and dark fortifications crowning the summit. A small figure with dog anchors the warm-toned foreground plain, while scattered trees create atmospheric recession into a pale distant landscape; atmospheric haze or rain streaks the right edge, emphasizing the volatile weather.

value structure

The darkest darks cluster in the storm clouds and fortifications (deep purple-gray), creating strong contrast against the luminous white cloud highlights and pale chalky hill slopes. Three distinct value bands organize the composition: dark sky at top, mid-tone hill and trees in center, light foreground and distant landscape. Squinting reveals the eye is guided by a bright diagonal of cloud highlight sweeping down toward the hill, then grounded by the small warm foreground figure.

observed palette and mixes

#e6ddd7
Titanium White with touch of Raw Sienna
Cloud highlights, chalky slopes of the hill, bright areas of sky near horizon
#594b4c
Ultramarine Blue with Burnt Sienna and Alizarin Crimson
Dark shadows in clouds, fortifications on hill summit, darkest tree trunks
#817579
Ultramarine with Alizarin Crimson
Shadow side of clouds, purple undertones in mid-tone areas
#b0a3a3
Raw Sienna with Ultramarine Blue
Middle tone clouds, transitional areas, warm gray shadows
#cbc0be
Cerulean Blue with Raw Sienna and White
Light mid-tone areas of sky and landscape, atmospheric middle distance
#978582
Burnt Sienna with touch of Ultramarine
Hill slopes, warm earth tones in foreground, tree masses

edges and brushwork

Edges are predominantly soft and blended throughout—clouds fade into sky with fuzzy transitions, while the hill's silhouette against sky is slightly crisper but still atmospheric. Brushwork is loose and gestural in the sky, with visible wet-on-wet blending creating soft halos around cloud forms; the landscape is handled with more restraint, using suggestion rather than detail, with tree groupings rendered as simple dark shapes. The foreground figure is minimally defined, just enough to read as human scale.

a working sequence

01
Establish the sky structure
Wet the entire upper two-thirds with clean water. While damp, drop in the darkest cloud masses (upper right and center-top) using dilute Ultramarine with Alizarin. Leave gaps for light—don't cover the entire sky. Let pigment bloom naturally; add stronger darks to the upper edges while the paper is still wet.
02
Build atmospheric drama
While the sky is still damp, introduce warmer grays and purples into shadow areas using Raw Sienna + Ultramarine mix. Preserve bright white paper for cloud highlights on the left-center and lower left sky. Let some clouds fade to nothing at their edges—don't define all boundaries.
03
Block in the hill
Once sky is dry, establish Old Sarum's silhouette with the warm ochre-brown mix (Burnt Sienna + touch of Ultramarine). Note the hill has two planes: a brighter right-facing slope and a darker left-facing slope. The fortifications at the summit are the darkest element—leave them for now.
04
Model the hill's form
While the hill base is still damp, drop darker values (Burnt Sienna + more Ultramarine) into the left shadow side and the fortification area. The right slope catches light and stays warmer and lighter. Suggest rough terrain with dry-brush strokes or texture as the paper firms up; don't overwork it.
05
Establish middle-ground landscape
Paint the tree line and middle distance as a soft dark band (Ultramarine + Alizarin, quite dilute). Keep this value darker than the hill but not as dark as the sky shadows. Suggest individual trees with dark vertical shapes, but let them overlap and merge—specificity kills atmosphere.
06
Develop foreground and distance
The foreground plain is notably lighter and warmer than the middle distance, creating recession. Use dilute Raw Sienna or pale ochre with minimal pigment. Suggest scattered grazing figures and animals with tiny flecks; the human and dog in the lower left is the visual anchor—keep it small and sketchy.
07
Unify with atmospheric effects
Add rain streaks or atmospheric haze on the right side using dilute gray (Ultramarine + Raw Sienna). Soften distant landscape by ensuring it's paler and more muted than the foreground. The eye should rest on the luminous hill against the dramatic sky.
08
Reinforce value hierarchy
Step back and check: sky should dominate emotionally (dark and turbulent), hill should glow as the focal point, foreground should be quietest. If needed, darken cloud shadows or lighten hill slopes to push contrast. Final touch: ensure the small figure reads clearly against the plain.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Over-controlling the sky—watercolor demands letting water and pigment move freely; fighting it produces muddy, stiff clouds. Trust the medium's fluidity.
Losing the hill's luminosity by painting it too dark or too uniform; the chalk slopes must read as catching light against the shadowed sky.
Painting distant trees and landscape too crisp or too detailed, destroying atmospheric perspective; distance must stay vague and pale.
Making the figure too prominent; the human and dog should read as tiny, reinforcing the vast scale of the landscape—resist the urge to enlarge them for clarity.
Over-blending and homogenizing values in the middle ground; keep some distinctness between tree clumps and landscape zones or the composition flattens.

measured difficulty