National Treasures: Constable in Bristol – Truth to Nature at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

About

The Hay Wain masterpiece by John Constable is coming to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery and will be the centre piece in a curated exhibition exploring landscape through art. 

To celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2024, the National Gallery in London is loaning the painting to Bristol as part of its National Treasures exhibitions.

It will be displayed alongside more works by Constable, 11 of his radically fresh and spontaneous oil sketches, on loan from the V&A. Around this core of Constable pieces will circulate an exhibition from Bristol’s own wonderful collections, spanning the history of landscape art from Dutch master Jacob van Ruisdael to environmentally conscious contemporary video work by Charlotte Prodger and Maeve Brennan.

The range takes in Bristol School painter Edward Villiers Rippingille, Cornish pioneer Peter Lanyon, conceptual land artist Richard Long and many more.

Bristol Museums are also hosting other related events which include:

Museums at Night (Thursday 20 June from 6pm) - Booty Bass, Bristol’s own bassalicious collective of femxle and non-binary DJs, will be mixing up Afrobeats, grime, tribal, global and more. There will also be storytelling workshops, dressing up, art workshops, a magical mystery tour and a couple of bars.

A workshop for Home Educators exploring Constable in Bristol: Home Educator workshop: Discover Arts Award in a day - Constable in Bristol | Bristol Museums (27 June)

In Accord: Choir bringing landscapes to life through voice: In Accord Choral Performance | Bristol Museums (11 July)

Two Curator’s talks, one with Dr Mary McMahon of National Gallery (11 July) and one with Julia Carver, Fine Art Curator at Bristol Museums & Art Gallery (8 August)

A theatre performance presenting a new way of seeing The Hay Wain: The Hay Wain Theatre Production at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery | Bristol Museums (16 and 17 August)

All details on each event are available from the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery what’s on website page.

Accessible events 

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery aims to ensure that everyone can access and engage with its important landscape art display. To achieve this, a programme of accessible events will run alongside the exhibition over the school summer holidays. This diverse range of events includes family workshops and adult tours, offering something exciting for everyone this summer.

Free BSL Tour for D/deaf and Hard of Hearing Families

Date: Monday 29 July 2024
Time: 10:15 am – 12:30 pm
Age Group: 5 – 12 years (older and younger siblings welcome)

This fun-filled event is designed for deaf and hard of hearing parents, carers, and children, exploring nature and art. The interactive tour will bring Constable's work to life through BSL interpretation and creative workshops. The tour is led by Ciaran O’Breen.
For access information and booking, please visit Eventbrite.

Free Accessible Live-streamed Storytelling for Families

Date: Monday 29 July 2024
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Online event
Age Group: 5 – 12 years (older and younger siblings welcome)

For those unable to attend in person, International Storyteller Cassandra Wye will conduct an interactive storytelling event online, linked to the exhibition "Constable in Bristol." The session will be live-streamed via Zoom with BSL interpretation and will also be recorded and subtitled for later viewing.
For booking, please visit Pretix.

Free Audio Described Tour and Art Workshop for Families

Date: Monday 5 August 2024
Time: 10:15 am – 12:30 pm
Age Group: 5 – 12 years (older and younger siblings welcome)

Families are invited to enjoy an audio-described tour of Constable's artwork, along with storytelling and arts activities.
For access information and booking, please visit Eventbrite.

Free Audio Described Tour for Adults

Date: Wednesday 28 August 2024
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:45 pm

Adults can join an exclusive audio-described tour of the special exhibition celebrating John Constable’s painting "The Hay Wain."
For access information and booking, please visit Eventbrite.

Free BSL Tour for D/deaf and Hearing Impaired Adults

Date: Thursday 29 August 2024
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:45 pm

An exclusive BSL tour of the special exhibition celebrating John Constable’s iconic painting "The Hay Wain," featuring discussions on the evolution of landscape art. The tour includes BSL interpretation and opportunities to handle items representative of the exhibits. The tour is led by Jemima Buoy.
For access information and booking, please visit Eventbrite.