An oil painting by one of Britain's most famous and best-loved artists has been unveiled in South Tyneside where it will be on exhibition to the public for the rest of the week.
In high secrecy, a special arrangement with The National Gallery in London secured a loan of John Constable's painting The Cornfield which was revealed in a press preview this Tuesday morning inside a vacant unit in The Viking Centre in Jarrow. And, over the next few days, the stunning landscape will be on display there for free.
The Cornfield is said to be one of the most beloved paintings in the National's collection and the loan is part of the London gallery's Visits programme, supported by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and South Tyneside Council which are keen for as many residents and passers-by as possible to take the rare chance to see the artwork while it is in the region.
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Constable, who died in 1837, was famed for his large landscapes, specifically of the Suffolk countryside of his childhood which he painted in the fresh air, finishing off his huge canvasses back in his studio. The mostly self-taught artist, who was influenced by Dutch and French artists, exhibited his work at the Royal Academy in London from 1802 as well as at the Paris Salon.
The Cornfield, which dates from 1826, depicts a summer landscape and a shepherd boy drinking from a pool of water. The artist initially referred to it as The Drinking Boy then it was exhibited at the Royal Academy that same year under the title Landscape: Noon before a later Paris showing.
Constable apparently did not find a buyer for the work but, after his death, funds were raised to buy the oil painting for The National Gallery. TWAM director Keith Merrin said it has been "fantastic" to work with the National "to bring such an important artwork right into the heart of one of our local communities".
And he hopes that people who visit the shop to see the painting will be inspired to visit more local cultural venues. South Shields Museum & Art Gallery has also drawn up an events programme around the painting's visit, to engage schools, community groups and families in the project. An interactive online programme is running too.
The Cornfield can be viewed at the vacant Bright House unit in the shopping centre until Sunday and it will then move on to another location. Opening times are 9am-9.45am and 12noon-6pm until Friday then from 10am at the weekend, until 6pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday. For more about the learning programme arranged around it see here.
