Explore the painting
Constable's Salisbury
John Constable thought Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows was his best work. Why was the painting, and the city of Salisbury, so important to Constable?
Subjects and meaning in Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows
Revolutionary in his approach to landscape but conservative in his approach to life: discover some of the themes that inspired John Constable's Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows 1831
Re-framing Constable
How do you frame a masterpiece? Go behind the scenes and discover the process of making a frame at Tate
Constable's techniques, materials and 'six footer' paintings
Explore the techniques and materials that John Constable used – and discover why his series of ‘six-footer’ paintings were so revolutionary
Listen to Salisbury Cathedral
What does a painting sound like? Hear the sheep in the fields and the ring in the bells in this audio piece made by young people
Artist
John Constable
1776–1837
Related themes and activities
Constable's legacy and influence
Discover how Constable ensured the circulation and longevity of his masterpieces and explore his influence on later generations of artists
Explore Constable's places
In a letter to his close friend John Fisher, Constable said ‘I should paint my own places best’. Discover John Constable's places through his paintings of his childhood home
Constable discussion and activities resource
Whether you are studying John Constable or just interested in exploring his art: use our discussion, research and activity suggestions to investigate and be inspired by his ideas and techniques
Looking differently at Constable
Take your time and look at Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows in new and surprising ways
More on Constable
The final visitor
Steven Sherrill pens a fictional account of a studio visit to the English painter John Constable
The edge of England
Poet Lavinia Greenlaw pens a poem on Constable inspired by a visit to the ruins of Hadleigh Castle, Kent.
Nostalgia as nature intended
A new series of In Focus displays at Tate Britain takes an in-depth look at artworks as well as items from the Tate archive. The subject of one of these is Constable’s oil sketch A Cornfield c.1817, an unfinished picture he made outdoors in Suffolk, and which was acquired by Tate in 2004. It is connected with the genesis of the famous picture in the National Gallery, The Cornfield 1826, which, as one Constable expert argues, means far more to us than its simple subject would suggest
Constable’s Sketch for Hadleigh Castle : A Technical Examination
Constable (1776–1837) made one of his characteristic 'six footer' oil sketches in preparation for Hadleigh Castle which he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1829. The sketch has strips of canvas added at left and lower edges, the attribution of which has long been a subject of debate. A fresh technical study re-examines the evidence surrounding these compositional alterations.
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows exhibited 1831 by John Constable
New research into Constable’s brooding, dramatic and compositionally complex Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows offers an expanded context – political, religious, artistic and scientific – in which the painting may be understood.
Related art terms
Naturalism
Naturalism was a broad movement in the nineteenth century which represented things closer to the way we see them
Landscape
Landscape is one of the principal types or genres of subject in Western art
Plein air
The French term plein air means out of doors and refers to the practice of painting entire finished pictures out of doors
Oil paint
Oil paint is form of a slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil that forms a tough, coloured film on exposure to air
Romanticism
Term in use by the early nineteenth century to describe the movement in art and literature distinguished by a new interest in human psychology, expression of personal feeling and interest in the natural world