William George Jennings's (1763–1854) early topographical work was in the manner of Richard Wilson and Joseph Farington, but from around 1826 Jennings became a friend and patron of John Constable, and the two artists shared a house.

Constable work had a profound influence on Jennings. Jennings employed a range of media and mark-making in emulation of Constable's expressive style. Jennings's skies too evoke Constable's treatment of clouds—Constable intensively studied the atmospheric effects of clouds during his 'skying' period 1821 to 1822, when he produced dozens of watercolour, crayon and oil studies of the clouds over Hampstead Heath.

Jennings shared Constable's attachment to the landscape of Hampstead Heath, and Hampstead is the subject of much of Jenning's work. Although Old Jennings—as Constable referred to him—was a gentleman amateur, he nevertheless was instrumental in bolstering the younger artist's confidence and in supporting him with his patronage. In the 1830s Jennings bought two paintings from Constable, a ‘Yarmouth Jetty’ and ‘Hampstead Heath with a Rainbow’, the latter of which is now in the Tate. For a Hampstead subject by Jennings see also Tate, T03349, Heath Scene with a Pond c.1831.

William George Jennings exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1797 and 1806 and at the Society of British Artists in 1830.