John Constable's The Lock to be sold at auction

A John Constable painting, treasured by the artist and kept by his side until his death, is set to be sold at auction.

The Lock - one of the small group of monumental landscapes known as the 'Six Footers', - was painted following critical acclaim at his first attempt at the composition when exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1824.

The piece is expected to fetch £8-12 million when it is sold at Sotheby's in December.

Set in Suffolk, it depicts a scene on the River Stour, with a distant view of Dedham Church seen across the bucolic river meadows from Flatford Lock.

The masterpiece was treasured by the artist who kept it in his studio until his death in 1837 and singled it out for prestigious exhibitions.

It was last sold in 1855, having remained in the same family collection for more than 150 years.

It is one of only three major paintings by Constable left in a private collection.

The painting will be exhibited around the world in Hong Kong, New York and Los Angeles, before leading the Old Master & British Paintings Sale on the 9 December.