(John Constable by Ramsay Richard Reinagle)
On the eve of John Constable’s 250th anniversary, a new major exhibition at Gainsborough’s House in Suffolk explores the role of three painters who paved the way for landscape painting as a respectable art form in England.
The exhibition—running to 11th October in the 16th-century Grade-I listed home that was Gainsborough’s birthplace—focuses on the work of Constable, his predecessor and model Thomas Gainsborough and the later work of J.M.W. Turner.
Although Thomas Gainsborough (1727-81) died when John Constable (1776-1837) was a young boy, Constable deeply revered him as an important predecessor. Holding Gainsborough’s work in extremely high regard, Constable lovingly wrote in 1799: ‘I fancy I see Gainsborough in every hedge and hollow tree.’
Both artists, too, were born and raised in the Stour Valley, a region now commonly known as ‘Constable Country’ and Constable saw himself as following in the footsteps of the older Suffolk master.
Gracefully, the connection between the two artists is preserved today at Gainsborough’s House which features a study centre exploring Gainsborough’s influence on successors such as Constable. In fact, the Constable family has even placed a plaster model of a horse that once belonged to Gainsborough on long-term loan to the museum thereby highlighting the personal significance of the older artist to the Constable family.
Therefore, as part of Constable 250, the main exhibition at Gainsborough’s House (running to 11th October 2026) explores the emergence of landscape painting in Britain as led by three of its greatest exponents: Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88), JMW Turner (1775-1851) and, of course, John Constable (1776-1837). Over 40 oil-paintings, watercolours and drawings are on show coming mainly from private collections and therefore rarely seen in public.
Key works include Gainsborough’s idyllic scene, ‘Landscape with Cattle – a Young Man Courting a Milkmaid’ (early 1770s) which has not been seen in the UK since 1952, Turner’s large-scale watercolour ‘Abergavenny Bridge’ (1799) which has not been on public display either since 1799 when shown at the Royal Academy and Constable’s dramatic oil sketch, ‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ (c.1830s) a variant of his ‘great Salisbury’ painting thought to be a study for the mezzotint developed with David Lucas.
The exhibition culminates in Constable’s magnificent ‘The Leaping Horse’ from the Royal Academy, on show in Suffolk for the very first time. This was the final and perhaps the greatest of the series of ‘six-footer’ canvasses painted between 1819 and 1825 that sealed the artist’s enviable reputation.
However, the exhibition at Gainsborough’s House is part of a wider Suffolk partnership to celebrate Constable 250. In addition, there’s a year-long programme of exhibitions running at Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, through an initiative by Colchester and Ipswich Museums generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Weston Loan Programme, the Art Fund, Arts Council England and other key partners.
John Constable’s art continues to resonate with contemporary artists, too. Therefore, to accompany Constable 250, Gainsborough’s House is also presenting a couple of exhibitions by David Dawson and Kate Giles.
Also commemorating John Constable’s life and work in the artist’s special year are Colchester and Ipswich Museums who are staging three landmark exhibitions at Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, exploring Constable’s art and his legacy.
An exhibition highlight is none other than Constable’s iconic masterpiece coming from the National Gallery ‘The Hay Wain’ (1821) making its first-ever visit to the county. Ironically, synonymous as it may be with the Suffolk countryside, the work was, in fact, painted by Constable in his London studio. Therefore, ‘The Hay Wain’ will be reunited with its preparatory sketches that forms part of the Ipswich collection.
Running to 14th June 2026, ‘Constable: A Cast of Characters’ will introduce visitors to the people who inspired and supported the artist. Drawing on objects within Colchester and Ipswich Museum’s collections such as letters and costumes, along with important loans from private collections and the Government Art Collection, the exhibition represents a chance to explore Constable’s portraiture. Many of the objects have never been seen on public display.
Running from 11th July to 4th October 2026, ‘Constable: Walking the Landscape’ brings a host of unprecedented key loans from the National Gallery, Tate, V&A, Royal Academy, National Galleries of Scotland to Suffolk for the very first time exploring the theme of walking.
The final exhibition of the year-long celebration, ‘Constable to Contemporary’ (24th October 2026 to 28th February 2027) juxtaposes Constable’s ongoing artistic and cultural legacy alongside contemporary responses to his art – much of it created during the year. Collectively, this fascinating trio of exhibitions also acts as a platform for community engagement work including a series of events and workshops – all inspired by themes in Constable’s art.
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