John Constable Exhibitions in 2026

Jessica Simms-Baalham
7 days ago
3 min read

This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the great landscape artist John Constable. Born in East Bergholt, he spent much of his life painting landscapes in and around Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. To honor his legacy, we will be hosting upcoming events, have created an ideal itinerary, and have created a walking map to take in some of his most iconic painting spots.

To find out more about the artist, take a look below at some of the year's upcoming exhibitions in and around our region.

Three key exhibitions in Suffolk

Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, will be hosting some major exhibitions throughout the year and into 2027. It will include rarely loaned work, such as The Hay Wain, preparatory sketches, and personal items to the artist.

Constable: A Cast of Characters

28th March - 14th June

A Cast of Characters explores the people and influences in Constable’s life, featuring letters, costumes, objects and important loans from public and private collections.

Constable: Walking the Landscape

11th July - 4th October

Possibly the most exciting of the three exhibitions, this includes The Hay Wain and Dedham Vale alongside works from Constable’s childhood home, celebrating his connection to the Suffolk landscape. It's the first time The Hay Wain (normally in the National Gallery) will be exhibited in Suffolk itself.

Constable to Contemporary

24th October 2026 - 28th February 2027

A contemporary take on the legacy Constable has left behind. Constable to Contemporary juxtaposes his works with modern responses inspired by Constable's art.

Across the Region

Flatford Mill

The permanent exhibition explores the early life and work of John Constable, explaining how he found inspiration in the countryside around his home village of East Bergholt.

Constable at Gainsborough’s House

Gainsborough's House, now a Thomas Gainsborough museum in Sudbury, also holds in its collection some significant pieces on long-term loan from the Constable family, including correspondence and a set of paint brushes and paints. The museum hosts exhibitions of other Suffolk-based artists throughout the year.

Turner and Constable - the documentary

"Discover unexpected sides to both artists with intimate views of sketchbooks and personal items and insights from leading experts." The groundbreaking exhibition at Tate Britain is coming to screens to share the artwork and stories of J.M.W Turner and John Constable. The artists were born within a year of one another and became two of the most successful landscape painters of all time - and rivals!

Exhibition on Screen will be showing the documentary across a number of nearby cinemas, including The Light in Cambridge, Stowmarket Regal and Marina Theatre, Lowestoft.

Further Afield

Tate Britain: Turner and Constable

Until 12th April

While not in East Anglia, this exhibition combines Constable and Turner, highlighting their contrasting styles and shared legacy that is captured in the documentary above.

John Constable & David Lucas – V&A Museum, London

until 14th June

This free display at the Victoria & Albert Museum includes Constable paintings alongside prints from his collaboration with printmaker David Lucas - a great complement if you plan a London day trip and just a hop, skip and jump from Ipswich train station on the Greater Anglia line.

To get a better understanding of John Constable and his life in Suffolk, visit one of our pubs in Constable Country to immerse yourself in the area and explore more.