Hadleigh Castle Sunset – Original Pastel Landscape Painting

In this pastel painting, I wanted to capture the quiet drama of Hadleigh Castle standing sentinel over the Essex countryside at sunset.

The open farmland stretches out, bathed in the warm, shifting light of dusk, while the sky erupts in bold streaks of red, blue, and violet. A large pond in the foreground, part of the farmland’s drainage system, mirrors the fiery hues of the sunset, its banks lined with tall reeds that glow purple in the fading light.

To the right, a  train cuts through the scene - a fleeting contrast of modernity against the timelessness of the landscape. The painting balances stillness and motion, blending the natural and the man-made in a single, evocative moment. It’s a piece for those who appreciate the interplay of history, nature, and the subtle rhythms of everyday life.

Picture Size: 378 x 274mm  - Frame Size: 540 x 439mm

© Copyright William Chouffot