Yarmouth Jetty

John Constable

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a seaside view with a low horizon. A sandy beach is on the left, with ships and sailboats sailing on the water in the distance on the right. From the beach on the left, a pier in the distance extends into the water, with people walking on it. There is a pink building on the beach near the end of the pier. Closer to us, near the bottom left corner, is a white horse tied to a cart with a person standing on it. The horse and person both face away from us, heading towards the pier. They are passing by a small wooden boat that lies in the sand on their left, connected by a rope to a dark red anchor submerged in the sand. The brushstrokes are smooth and detailed in the sky and sea. The color palette is dominated by pastel tones of beige, blue, and grey. The water is greenish-blue, with darker areas of shadow and light areas in the distance. The sky is blue, full of puffy white clouds that are tinged with light pink.