River Bank with Trees (recto); Herd of Cattle Beneath Trees, with Inset Sketch of Landscape (verso)

John Constable's double-sided drawing River Bank with Trees (recto) and Herd of Cattle Beneath Trees with Inset Sketch of Landscape (verso) (1796/1837) is a black pastel drawing on brown wove paper. The broad date range spans Constable's entire career, making precise dating difficult. The recto shows a river bank with trees, the black pastel capturing the forms of the trees and their reflections in the water. The verso shows a herd of cattle beneath trees, with an inset sketch of a landscape. The double-sided nature of this sheet is particularly valuable, showing Constable working through different subjects on the same support. The brown wove paper provides a warm mid-tone that gives the pastel drawings a unified, harmonious quality. This drawing may date from Constable's early period, when he was still developing his approach to landscape, or from his maturity, when he had achieved the full freedom of his style.

Constable's double-sided drawing sheets provide insight into his working method, showing him exploring different subjects and compositions on a single support.

This double-sided pastel drawing captures Constable's ongoing engagement with the English landscape, the river bank on one side and the cattle beneath trees on the other revealing the range of his observation.