Discover Constable and The Hay Wain at National Gallery London
In the winter of 2024?25, as part of the NG200 celebrations, the National Gallery will host an extraordinary exhibition titled “Discover Constable and The Hay Wain”. This exhibition will centre on John Constable’s masterpiece, The Hay Wain (1821), and represents the first loan exhibition dedicated to Constable (1776–1837) at the National Gallery. The exhibition aims to explore the social, political, and artistic context in which The Hay Wain was created, highlighting the radical reception the painting initially received and its eventual acclaim. The timing of this exhibition is significant as it marks the bicentenary year of the National Gallery. In 1824, The Hay Wain achieved international recognition and was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon by French King Charles X. Today, The Hay Wain is a symbol of the quintessential British countryside and has become an icon in pop culture, though it was once regarded as a revolutionary reimagining of landscape painting. One of the primary goals of this exhibition is to trace the journey of Constable’s work into major collections and to celebrate significant donations to the national collections from Isabel Constable, his daughter, and art collectors such as John Sheepshanks and Henry Vaughan. The exhibition will delve into the acquisition history of The Hay Wain by the National Gallery in 1886 and examine the rise in both the painting’s and Constable’s popularity since then. The Hay Wain depicts a serene rural scene on the River Stour, near Flatford Mill, which was owned by Constable’s father. This setting reflects Constable’s intimate connection… Read More
