A broad, leafy tree dominates the right side of Flatford Mill, its branches arching over the scene and casting dappled shade across the foreground. Three dark arched openings in the bridge hint at the movement of water below, with ripples and reflections painted in swift, textured strokes of white and blue. To the left, a cluster of trees and shrubs forms a dense green mass, their trunks angled and leaves rendered in loose, expressive marks.

A smaller building with a steep tiled roof appears at the far left edge, partly cropped by the frame and set apart from the main mill by a patch of grass and shadow. The sky stretches wide above, painted in soft greys and muted blues, with subtle streaks of light suggesting a calm, overcast day. Touches of yellow and ochre enliven the grassy bank in the foreground, where the brushwork is thick and visible, giving texture to the earth and water.

The mill’s windows and doors are picked out in dark, almost black, rectangles, contrasting sharply with the warm brick and the pale stone of the bridge. Hints of blue and green in the water and foliage add depth and variation to the palette, while the overall effect remains harmonious and naturalistic. The composition is carefully balanced, with the large tree on the right countering the solid mass of the mill and bridge at the center, and open space leading the gaze toward the horizon at left.

Short, energetic brushstrokes create a sense of immediacy and movement, especially in the depiction of water and leaves. Flatford Mill is a work by John Constable from the 1810s. The painting is made with oil paint on a panel support. The subject includes a tree and a house, both prominent in the scene.