Fitting Sails on a Riverside Windmill

Three workers in flat caps and waistcoats climb the wooden arms of an old stone-and-brick windmill, lashing fresh white canvas sails into place with rope. One kneels near the hub, one hangs from the top arm and one braces against the lower right sail, all far above the ground. The round tower stands beside a half-timbered cottage with a mossy tiled roof, a red chimney and small leaded windows. A wooden door sits in an arched brick doorway, and a rowing boat is tied to posts in the river beside it. Weeping willows lean over the calm water, and the bank is thick with lupins, daisies and red poppies. Above it all, a deep blue sky carries soft white clouds and a small pennant on the cap. The four great sails divide the sky into clear wedges, each one framing its own patch of blue and cloud.