SPECIAL EVENT: Constable 250 – Recognising Constable by Timothy Wilcox

6pm

Join us on the day of John Constable’s 250^th birthday for a viewing of his artwork ‘View of Salisbury from Harnham’ followed by a drinks reception and lecture by Constable expert Timothy Wilcox.

In June 2026 the museum will receive on long-term loan a painting by John Constable from a private collection.  The painting dates from the early 1820s and depicts Salisbury Cathedral, the River Avon and the surrounding water meadows, viewed from due south at the eastern end of Harnham ridge.

The work has been owned by the same family for more than 60 years and has been the subject of detailed research by Timothy Wilcox, art historian, leading Constable scholar, and author of Constable and Salisbury: The Soul of Landscape. Wilcox co-curated the landmark Constable exhibition at The Salisbury Museum in 2011.

As part of this research, the painting was examined alongside a near-identical work by Constable now held at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Both paintings date from a time when Constable frequently produced similarly sized versions of compositions, often retaining one for his own records when another was sold or gifted.

Although modest in scale, measuring just 12” x 20”, the oil on canvas captures numerous recognisable local landmarks and demonstrates Constable’s exceptional skill in sketching in oil paint – a relatively innovative approach to landscape painting at the time. The sky is constructed with fluent brushstrokes, reflecting a period in which the artist developed a marked fascination with skies, producing numerous studies of cloud formations.

The Salisbury Gallery will be open to view the artwork from 6-7pm, with drinks served in the café. The lecture will commence at 7pm in the museum hall.

This event is accessible by lift or stairs.