WHAT? Turner & Constable: Rivals & Originals
WHERE? Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
WHEN? Now until 12 April 2026
WHY GO? For the full force of landscape art. Actor Timothy Spall in Mike Leigh’s 2014 film Mr Turner portrayed an image of a cantankerous genius and this illuminating exhibition confirms that character while pitting him against his greatest rival, Constable — but which of the two artists comes out on top?
It’s an impossible conundrum. Timed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of both artists, this blockbuster traces their individual achievements leaving no stone unturned.
Turner, born into a modest middle-class family, was famous at the age of 15, while Constable, born into prosperity, was a late starter.
Turner was a consummate traveller, painting far and wide from France and Italy to Switzerland and the Alps while Constable retained his love of the English countryside, depicting both bucolic and earnest farming communities throughout his native Suffolk.
This epic show features both artists along with their sketchbooks, brushes, paints and even the very chair that Constable sat on.
Side by side, they curiously seem to meld together but both highly original characters were rivals and there was friction at their Royal Academy shows. Spall pops up again on film as he cheekily clashes with Constable while contemporary artists like Bridget Riley and Frank Bowling reflect on both artists’ enduring legacies.
Undoubtedly Turner and Constable are THE two foremost English landscape artists. This is a nostalgic trip from a bygone era.
IN THE KNOW For more about the man behind the masterpieces, Turner: The Secret Sketchbooks delves into his vast archive of some 37,000 private sketches, drawings and watercolours. With contributions from the likes of Tracey Emin, psychotherapist Oran Guralnik and leading historians, it reveals an eccentric genius. Watch on BBC iPlayer now.