Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals

Excellent exhibition at Tate Britain marking 250 years since the birth of both Turner and Constable.

I might need to do this show again to get the most from it. It cleverly pitches the two artists at various stages in their lives, noting the parallels and where and how they differed. I think I came out favouring Constable, but a second visit might be different.

The show was relatively sparsely hung with a good mix of paintings, watercolours and oil sketches and sketch books. It introduced them with portraits from the date of their acceptance into the Royal Academy alongside their diploma works. At times each artist got their own room to reflect their travels but on the whole they were shown together.

There were some noticeable omissions but I guess, in this important year for both artists, galleries are unwilling to loan or have lent elsewhere. The show was probably better for it as it showed greater depth.

Closes 16 April 2026


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