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As the battle of British landscape artists, also known as the Turner and Constable exhibition at Tate Britain (until 12 April), continues to draw crowds in London, a different look at one of its protagonists, John Constable, will open in his home county of Suffolk this month. Constable: A Cast of Characters at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich will explore the people who surrounded Constable, from friends and family to patrons. Below, the exhibitions’s curator Emma Roodhouse, whose own book of the same title is published in May, has selected five key books to help us better understand the life and work of Constable. (Roodhouse adds that Letters of John Constable: A Selection, being published in July, will likely be essential reading too, as its editor Anne Lyles “is the leading expert in the field”.)
Meet the Artist: John Constable: An Art Activity Book (2025) by Hannah Flanagan
“The best way to find out about an artist is to get hands-on and create as they did. In this colourful and lively exploration of Constable’s interests and art, Flanagan offers a book that both children and adults can enjoy. Make a DIY cloud viewer to contemplate the skies, perhaps even inspiring you to paint.”
Constable: A Portrait (2022) by James Hamilton
“If you prefer to curl up with an absorbing life story, James Hamilton’s Constable is an excellent choice. Having already written biographies of Turner and Gainsborough, Hamilton brings the same depth of insight to Constable. The book offers a personal view of the artist’s family life and his courtship of Maria Bicknell, while setting their story against a wider historical backdrop.”
Late Constable (2021) by Anne Lyles and Matthew Hargraves
“The Late Constable exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2021-22 highlighted just how experimental and fresh Constable’s painting became during the final 12 years of his life. This period was marked not only by artistic innovation but also by personal and professional struggle, his long battle to be elected a Royal Academician, and the profound grief following the death of his wife Maria in 1828.”
Turner and Constable (2025) by Nicola Moorby
“Turner and Constable seem inevitably intertwined and Moorby’s book thankfully provides a balanced and well-researched look at both artists, traditionally seen as opposites. Born just over a year apart, Turner in London’s smoky bustle and Constable under Suffolk’s wide skies, they shared a determination to elevate landscape painting to the heights of British art.”
Constable’s Year (2026) by Susan Owens
“To understand Constable’s approach to landscape, you need to experience nature in all seasons and preferably whilst working in Suffolk or Essex. Owens uses the cycle of the year to explore Constable’s deep, instinctive knowledge of weather, light and place. Her book reveals how profoundly the landscapes we know are imbued with strong emotions.”
• Constable: A Cast of Characters, Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, 28 March-14 June
• Emma Roodhouse, Constable 250: A Cast of Characters, Amberley Publishing, 96pp, £15.99 (pb)
