Constable’s ‘Salisbury Cathedral’ saved for the UK

John Constable
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows
1831

Constable’s ‘Salisbury Cathedral’ saved for the UK John Constable’s ‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ (1831) has been secured for the British public for the special price of £23.1 million with tax concessions, equivalent to an open market sale of £40 million.]]>

May 23, 2013, source: Tate Gallery

The acquisition is part of a ground-breaking new partnership, called Aspire, between five national and regional galleries: Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales; the National Galleries of Scotland; Colchester and Ipswich Museums; Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum; and Tate Britain. The partnership will enable the work, owned by Tate, to go on almost constant view in partner venues across the UK. From today it will go on view in the Constable room at Tate Britain until the end of the year before being shown at the five national and regional galleries participating in the programme.

The work has been acquired for the special price of £23.1 million with tax concessions, equivalent to an open market sale of £40 million. The acquisition has been made possible through the most generous collaboration of the children of the late Lord Ashton of Hyde and purchased through the London fine art agents Robert Holden Ltd. The painting had previously been on view at The National Gallery on long-term loan since 1983.

“Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows” is one of a series of monumental ‘six-footer’ canvases painted by the artist. This was the scale he reserved for his finest compositions, the paintings he wished to make a great impact in the crowded, competitive hang of the RoyalAcademy exhibitions. This work is the most visually spectacular of all the ‘six footers’, the most loaded in meaning and the one of which he was most proud. Constable called it ‘The Great Salisbury’ and wrote “I am told I got it to look better than anything I have yet done”.

Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate, said: “’Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ is one of the great masterpieces of British art. I am extremely grateful to the owners who have worked with us while we have raised the funds to ensure the painting remains in the UK.”

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