John Constable’s “The White Horse” was first exhibited in 1819.
Constable completed the large oil-on-canvas landscape in 1819, drawing on sketches made around Flatford on the River Stour in Suffolk. It shows a tow horse being ferried across the river, where the towpath changes banks. The scene reflects Constable’s close observation of the English countryside.
The exhibition was held at the Royal Academy, where the painting was well received. Its success helped Constable gain election as an Associate of the Royal Academy, a major professional milestone. The work was also the first of his celebrated “Six-Footers,” a group of large-scale Stour landscapes that includes The Hay Wain.
A common mix-up is the painting’s completion date versus later ownership. Constable’s friend John Fisher bought it in 1819 for 100 guineas; it eventually entered the Frick Collection in New York. A full-size oil sketch is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.