Tate Britain Reevaluates the Parallel Legacies of Turner and Constable

Tate Britain is set to present the first major exhibition exploring the intertwined biographies and professional trajectories of Britain’s most revered landscape painters: JMW Turner and John Constable. Marking the 250th anniversary of their births, the survey traces the development of their careers in parallel. The exhibition posits that the critical environment of the 19th century, which frequently pitted the artists against one another, pushed them toward the radical and original visions that challenged the artistic conventions of their time.

Divergent Origins

The narrative commences by contrasting the artists’ disparate backgrounds, which fundamentally shaped their distinct approaches to the medium. Born only a year apart, their early lives diverged significantly. JMW Turner, born in the crowded metropolis of London, was a commercially astute prodigy who first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1790 at the age of 15. By the age of 18, he had already produced ambitious oil paintings such as the recently discovered The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St. Vincent’s Rock, Bristol.

In marked contrast, John Constable was born to a prosperous family in the Suffolk village of East Bergholt. Largely self-taught, he demonstrated a fierce commitment to perfecting artistic techniques and did not exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1802. Rather than pursuing immediate fame, Constable undertook sketching tours to create early watercolors, opting for a slower, more methodical development of his craft. Despite these differences, the exhibition suggests both men were united by a shared ambition to elevate the genre of landscape art amid its rising popularity.

Methodologies and “Sparkle”

The exhibition analyzes how both artists established distinct identities within the competitive art market through divergent methodologies. Constable built his reputation on depictions of the Suffolk landscape—specifically the Dedham Vale and the River Stour—often sketching in oils outdoors. His section includes artifacts such as his painting box and sketching chair, allowing visitors to chart the development of his draughtsmanship and his radical handling of paint intended to add “sparkle” to the canvas. Notably, a group of Constable’s cloud studies has been assembled to illustrate his belief that the sky was the primary source of a painting’s emotional impact, a philosophy underpinning the powerful skyscapes of his monumental six-foot canvases.

Conversely, Turner’s practice was characterized by extensive travel across Britain and Europe, during which he filled sketchbooks with rapid pencil studies. These excursions provided inspiration for sublime subjects, such as The Passage of Mount St Gothard (1804), and facilitated commercial opportunities for prints based on his watercolors. The exhibition explores Turner’s development of original paint applications and his focus on depicting light and the raw power of nature.

Fire and Water

A central component of the survey is the examination of the rivalry—both real and constructed—between the two painters. By the 1830s, critics frequently cast them as adversaries due to the stark differences in their work. The narrative highlights the 1831 Royal Academy exhibition, where Constable, serving on the hanging committee, played into this dynamic by placing his work alongside Turner’s.

The juxtaposition of Turner’s Caligula’s Palace and Bridge and Constable’s Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows prompted contemporary critics to compare the works to “fire and water.” This polemic contrasted the sun-drenched heat of Turner’s mythical scene with the atmospheric dampness of Constable’s British landscape. The current installation places these distinctive styles head-to-head to demonstrate how, despite stylistic polarities, both artists succeeded in establishing landscape as a genre of grand scale and prime importance.

Rarities and Late Works

The exhibition features over 190 paintings and works on paper. Notable inclusions are Turner’s The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1835), on loan from the Cleveland Museum of Art and unseen in Britain for over 60 years. Constable’s The White Horse (1819), which has not been exhibited in London for two decades, is also on display. Late works are prominently featured, including Constable’s Hampstead Heath with a Rainbow (1836), which interweaves personal and historic memory, and Turner’s Ancient Italy – Ovid Banished from Rome, not shown in London in over 50 years.

The survey concludes with a new film featuring contemporary artists such as Frank Bowling, Bridget Riley, George Shaw, and Emma Stibbon, who reflect on the enduring legacy of Turner and Constable’s competing visions.

Exhibition Information

Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals will be on view from 27 November 2025 to 12 April 2026.