Turner and Constable Exhibition Ticket at Tate Britain, London

Two Masters of British Landscape: Turner and Constable

Born in 1775 and 1776 respectively, Turner and Constable expressed the changing times and world through their landscape paintings in their own ways. The two artists formed a competitive relationship with different artistic styles. Turner mainly painted sunsets with intense colors and impressive scenes from his travels, while Constable focused on depicting nature more realistically, centering on familiar landscapes of his hometown. This contrasting approach was likened to a 'battle of fire and water' at the time, drawing great attention.

This exhibition is designed to allow you to directly compare and appreciate the differences and individualities by arranging the works side by side, just like in the era when the two painters were active. The exhibition is curated by Amy Concannon and Nicole Cokrane, experts in British art history.

Compare the Artistic Worlds of Two Great Landscape Painters Side by Side

Growing up in rough Georgian London, Turner quickly rose to become a young star in the art world despite his humble background. On the other hand, Constable, born to a wealthy merchant in Suffolk, also sought to forge his own path as a painter, but had to go through a longer and more difficult time to gain fame. Although they grew up in different environments, the two were connected by a desire to change landscape painting for the better. Approaching success in different but bold ways, they naturally formed a rivalry in the competitive world of landscape painting. Turner painted fiery sunsets and sublime scenes inspired by his travels, while Constable repeatedly painted a few special places, trying to capture nature freshly and truthfully.

The exhibition features over 170 major works, including paintings and works on paper. Highlights include Turner's 'The Burning of the Houses of Parliament' (1835), which has not been shown in the UK for over 100 years, and Constable's 'The White Horse' (1819), considered one of his greatest achievements.