Constable 250 Exhibition

The Hay Wain will visit Suffolk for the first time ever as part of CONSTABLE 250!

2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Suffolk born artist John Constable (1776-1837), now considered to be one of the most important British painters of all time. The Constable 250 celebration is thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

To commemorate his life and work Colchester + Ipswich Museums (CIMS) will host three landmark exhibitions, featuring major loans from across the UK on display at the beautiful Tudor Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich:

Constable: A Cast of Characters

28 March – 14 June 2026

Constable: A Cast of Characters will introduce visitors to the people who inspired and supported the artist. Drawing on objects within Colchester + Ipswich Museums collections, such as letters and costumes, along with important loans from private collections and the Government Art Collection, the exhibition represents a chance to explore Constable’s portraiture. Many of the objects included have never been on public display before.

It will also showcase new sculptures created by Sasha Constable (b.1970), international sculptor and a direct descendant of the artist himself. A Cast of Characters will also introduce lesser-known artists in the Colchester + Ipswich Museums collections who had links to Constable.

Constable: Walking the landscape

11 July – 4 October 2026

Constable: Walking the landscape brings unprecedented key loans from the National Gallery, Tate, V&A, Royal Academy, National Galleries of Scotland to Suffolk for the very first time to explore the theme of walking.

Historic loans including The Hay Wain and Dedham Vale (1828, National Galleries of Scotland) will be seen alongside Colchester + Ipswich Museum’s own Constable collection, including the two most personal paintings from his childhood home, Golding Constable’s Flower Garden and Golding Constable’s Kitchen Garden (both 1815). Curatorial Advisor for the exhibition is Peter Harrap.

Constable to Contemporary

24 October 2026 – 28 February 2027

The final exhibition of the year-long celebration, Constable to Contemporary juxtaposes Constable’s ongoing artistic and cultural relevancy with contemporary responses to his art, much of it created during the year.

Collectively, the trio of exhibitions will also act as a platform for community engagement work, including a series of events and workshops, all inspired by themes in Constable’s art.

Constable 250 is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund grants, Arts Council England, Paul Mellon Centre, Babergh District Council, the Friends of the Ipswich Museums, Kerseys LLP and East Anglia Art Fund.