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Constable’s masterpiece returns to Salisbury

Constable - Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows

Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, 1831
John Constable (1776 – 1837)
© Tate, London 2013
Purchased with assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Manton Foundation, Art Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation) and Tate Members

Constable’s masterpiece returns to Salisbury John Constable’s masterpiece ‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ returns to Salisbury. From September 17, 2016 to March 25, 2017.]]>

September 19, 2016, source: Tate Gallery

This September Constable’s “Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows”, 1831, will go on display in Salisbury as part of “Aspire”. The painting, part of Tate’s collection, is touring the UK and will be ‘going home’ to The Salisbury Museum from 17 September. The Museum, which sits adjacent to the Cathedral, will be mounting a new exhibition, “Constable in Context: Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows in perspective”, where the painting will be the star among images of Salisbury Cathedral through the ages.

“Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows” is one of a series of monumental ‘six footer’ canvases painted by John Constable. He called it ‘The Great Salisbury’ and wrote ‘I am told I got it to look better than anything I have yet done.’

The exhibition will put Constable’s painting in its historical and artistic context, by showing it alongside paintings of Salisbury Cathedral from the 17th century to the 21st century. This visual timeline will feature many works from the museum’s own collection, including watercolours by Henrick de Cort, Frederick Nash, Frederick MacKenzie and J.M.W. Turner. Visitors will see Constable’s place in the recording of this great building and also the huge impact his radical painting style had on the artists who followed. There was a marked turning point following this work, with many artists changing direction from architectural representations to being more expressive. Visitors will also be able to ‘walk in Constable’s footsteps’ and take in the view of the Cathedral from where Constable painted the original scene.

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Constable’s masterpiece returns to Salisbury