Tate Kids


John Constable, Harwich Lighthouse, 1776-1837

This painting by John Constable is of the Low Lighthouse in Harwich. John Constable was born in Suffolk, growing up in his father’s flour mill. How do you think this affected his paintings? He often painted coastal landscapes on a small scale and they were very popular with collectors.

John Constable made his paintings look very natural, like the land around him; he always painted outside, looking at the scenery. Who do you think the man standing on the path is? Where do you think the boats on the horizon are going?

7 stories about “John Constable, Harwich Lighthouse, 1776-1837”

  1. Rachel Dickson, age 9, from Scotland

    It was a windy day i was walking along the road beside the beach. I walk past the windmill which was supposed to be haunted but i do not believe that! All the boats were out i was heading home from school and i noticed some thing wrong the sand was disapearing but why? so i decided to investigate so i did after tea i walk along the road and took the path for the beach but the sand was black.

    I called mike, gavin, dale and all my other freinds.I told them what had happend there were fourteen of us.So we spit up in to two groups one to investigate why the sand was disapearing and my group to investigate the colour. Me and mike both have a kit to take test samples. Mike is in the other group so that is ok.

    My group headed east and the other west we took a samples of the sand and found out that the sand was black because of oil and the other group found out that people had been diging up the sand for the new building site down the road. I called the police and the police arrested the men and replaced the sand and the same men for the oil.


  2. Briony, age 13, from Evesham

    There was a lot of draught coming from the open spaces of Sunny Hill beach on Sunday. Oil was still spread out along the dusty beaches since yesterday. Everybody said that it was a shame for such a sunny beach that everybody loved to be turned into a dumping ground. Loads of children had always played there and had fun, but somebody has to ruin everything. A lot of other children have been told to stay away from the oil just in case.

  3. Jess and Mandy, age 11, from Australia

    I stood on the dusty path my feet were dry and cracked and my red tangled hair was blowing round my face. thunder clashed above me and lightning flashed across the sky aloominating the wild sea.My blue eyes were watering from the strong wind and the waves from the stormy sea crashed and thunderd against the rocky jagged sea shore.

    I could taste the strong salty spray in my mouth.My dark olive skin was bumby from countless goose bumbs.My teeth chatterd and I shiverd.I looked up at the sky the storm clouds were breaking and I new the storm was nearly over. I looked out to the sea and the fishing boats bobbed merrily on the calming waves. I smiled this was my home and always would be.

  4. Jill, age 11, from Singapore

    I walked slowly up to the little shack on the shore. The wind blew through my hair while I sang a song. It went like this, ” The more I try, the braver I come, and I will have a fearless triumph’ but in a sweet melody. I was almost there, but although I sang my song of comfort, I still dreaded what would happen next.

  5. Matthew H, age 11, from British Isles

    It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was walking along the promenade, by the whitewashed walls of the small, teracotta cottages. The sun was beaming down onto my sweat-beaded face, and i was in debt – I owed my friends ?20 for the rest of the jewelled-grass summer, because i’d made a bet with them.

    As i was walking along the promenade, i noticed a green-laced yellow-orange ship. I thought: “That’s strange!” When i went back to my house, no-one was there…

  6. Nicolle Hunkin, age 14, from Cornwall

    One day i felt like walking across a beach so o chose this one i walked very slowly and all i could smell is the salty sea.

  7. Charles Pane, age 10, from England

    There once was a old man called Johnathon Constable who lived in Harwich. He went to watch the sea flow, it was cold and windy so the waves were coming in but the sun was out and it was bright. He came across a old lady in about her 60’s, 70’s. She was a pretty women with curly blonde hair and had a lovely purple jacket. He bumped into her by accident and we had a confersation. “Sorry” John said “That’s ok” she replied. “my name is Wendy Harris, yours” Wendy asked. “Jonathon Constable” he replied.

    1 year later they got married and they lived happily ever after.