Frederick Waters Watts lived in Hampstead at the same time as John Constable and knew him. Although he was greatly influenced by Constable's work and imitated many elements of Constable's style, he maintained his own distinctive composition and colouring. This landscape, full of youthful vigour, was painted early on in Watts' career when he was working closest to John Constable. Constable had moved to Hampstead in 1819. There seems to be no record of Watts working in East Anglia and he must have made the trip to in honour of his mentor. The subject he chose, the River Yare at Thorpe, was a favourite subject for local painters. There is a watercolour c. 1815, together with its sketch, in the Norwich Castle Museum collection by the Norwich painter, John Thirtle that was composed from almost exactly the same viewpoint. Thorpe Hall, a large redbrick manor, is easily recognisable on the far bank and this imposing house, combined with the other fine eighteenth century and earlier buildings along this stretch of river had earned the village the name `the Richmond of Norfolk'. Amongst the buildings between the manor and the large group of trees stands the house of John Sell Cotman's father from where Cotman painted his last oil painting c. 1841-2, From my Father's House. After his initial flirtation with Constable, Watts settled into a bold style of landscape painting composed mainly in the studio. It is extremely rare to find a work painted on the spot of a recognisable location. This is the only Norfolk view recorded at the Castle Museum, Norwich.