One of the finest collections ever seen of works by master painter John Constable drew dozens of leading figures from the world of the arts and the national media to Ipswich’s Christchurch Mansion last night (Thursday).
The Wolsey Art Gallery exhibition has been staged to celebrate Constable’s birthday and the 200th anniversary of two of his favourite works. Golding Constable’s Kitchen Garden 1815 and Golding Constable’s Flower Garden 1815 are owned by the Borough Council and are on permanent display in the town. Joining these important works are major loans from the Fitzwilliam Museum, V&A and Tate, including his great masterpiece Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831.
The new exhibition includes more than 30 of Constable’s paintings, drawings and sketches, and Carole Jones, Museums portfolio-holder at the Borough, said: “This was a perfect time and occasion to pay tribute to one of Britain’s finest painters. After all, this is his ‘home’ gallery, near to the places he immortalised forever. We have already seen thousands of visitors come to the Mansion to see the ‘Great Salisbury’; we are hoping that this new exhibition will be an even bigger draw over the summer. It is good for Ipswich and Suffolk to have this major cultural attraction on our doorstep."
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831, a major ‘six-footer’ oil painting is one of the greatest masterpieces of British art. The work in the Tate Collection was secured for the British public through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), The Manton Foundation, the Art Fund (with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation) and Tate Members. The acquisition and ongoing display is part of Aspire, a five-year partnership supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund to enable the work to go on almost constant view across the UK.
Robyn Llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England said: "Our grant of £15.8 million came with the condition that Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows was shared in perpetuity by Tate and four partner museums, including Colchester and Ipswich Museums. Constable was truly a man of the people who believed that art was for everyone - not just the select few - and so it’s fitting that the innovative approach of the Aspire project is helping many more people around the country see and enjoy this precious Constable painting.”
Photo: From left: Judith Nesbitt (Tate), Robyn Llewellyn (HLF), the Mayor, "John Constable", Cllr David Ellesmere, David Brown (Tate), Sarah Philp (Art Fund) and Caroline Collier (Tate).
Credit: Lorraine Arthur, Mad Monkey Productions
