The White Horse – Constable.
There has been a long history of the media creating rivalry, where perhaps none exists. One might think of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Blur and Oasis, Take That and East 17, but until this exhibition I had not previously considered J.M.W. Turner and John Constable.
Born within a year of each other – J.M.W. Turner in 1775 and John Constable in 1776 – the film explores the artists’ intertwined lives alongside the groundbreaking Tate Britain exhibition (in London until April 2026). As the experts tell us, there is no definitive evidence that they were rivals, other than that set up in the press. Somethings never change.
As this exhibition invites the viewer to compare and contrast, I will not be writing so much about the content of this exhibition, as the difference in the experience of visiting in, person or from the comfort of the local cinema. However, you choose to see it, see it you should. It is an experience not to be missed, featuring two of Britain’s most celebrated artists.
I was fortunate to visit this exhibition a few weeks ago and so was keen to see how the film would match up. Of course there are the obvious differences, Tate Modern is a 5 – 10-minute walk from the nearest Underground Station (Pimlico), and costs £24.00 per person (without concessions). It is a hugely popular exhibition and set to become more so as it reaches the end of its run, but this means that many of the timeslots have already sold out.
Exhibition on Screen once again has privileged access to bring their extraordinary art and remarkable stories to the big screen so that audiences can enjoy both the film and exhibition together. No travelling into London, no queues and no straining round other visitors to see the artwork. The film reveals the ways these artists redefined landscape painting and paved the way for Impressionism. TURNER & CONSTABLE offers intimate views of sketchbooks, personal items and beloved homes plus insights from leading experts. TURNER & CONSTABLE is the unmissable opportunity to see these great artists side-by-side, as they so often were in life, on the big screen for the first time.
T & C 21 Filming Turner Sketch Book copyright David Bickerstaff
Watching the film is a different experience to visiting the exhibition, one doesn’t get the same frisson of actually being in the presence of historic artworks with even a chair and paints belonging to the artists themselves. Nor are you able to look as closely at the brushwork as you might wish, or at a section of the painting that you might want to examine. Your experience of this exhibition is at the discretion of the Director.
That said, this is a big exhibition (12 rooms) and I found myself in need of a sit down before I had completed my viewing. Nor do you have to contend with other art enthusiasts who get in the way of viewing, just as I got in the way of others. The biggest advantage is that there are several experts, who are giving their opinion on the art history itself, the techniques deployed or my personal favourite, the moving images of the places that inspired the painting. This cannot be overestimated it brings the paintings to life in a way that a photograph can’t.
I found the views of experts enlightening to a degree that I had not anticipated.
I would advise that it you can get to the exhibition then you should do so, but if that is not possible look out for this documentary at your local cinema. Despite having seen the exhibition, I was rivetted by this film and felt that it had added another layer to my understanding. So, I would definitely recommend watching this film whether you have visited the Exhibition or not.
Exhibition on Screen’s unmissable new feature documentary, TURNER & CONSTABLE, coming to cinemas from 10th March.