Two of Britain’s greatest painters, J.M.W. Turner and John Constable were also the greatest of rivals. Born within a year of each other – Turner in 1775, Constable in 1776 – they used landscape art as a way to reflect the changing world around them.

With the two painters vying for success through very different but equally bold approaches the scene was soon set for a heady rivalry. Turner painted blazing sunsets and sublime scenes from his travels, while Constable often returned to depictions of a handful of beloved places, striving for freshness and authenticity in his portrayal of nature. The art critics compared their paintings to a clash of ‘fire and water’.

This is an unmissable opportunity to explore the careers of the two greatest British landscape painters, seen – as they often were in their own time – side by side.

Curated by Amy Concannon, Manton Senior Curator, Historic British Art, with Nicole Cochrane, Assistant Curator, Historic British Art (1790–1850).