Constable artwork acquired by Ipswich Museums
The artwork will be included in an exhibition at Christchurch Mansion this year
Last updated 1st Feb 2021
Ipswich Museums has acquired four artworks by John Constable found in an album dating across the late 1700s and 1800s.
Constable, who was born in East Bergholt in 1776, is considered one of the most important British artists.
The album, which contains watercolour drawings, poems and extensive texts, is believed to have been compiled by the Mason family, who were related to the Constables through marriage.
It came up for sale at Sotheby's Old Master and British Works on Paper sale in December 2020, and was bought for £24,000 through funding from Friends of the Ipswich Museums, Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Art Fund and Ipswich Borough Council's Felix Cobbold Bequest.
The works will be displayed as part of a special exhibition at Christchurch Mansion this year to mark the 200th anniversary of Constable's 'The Hay Wain' and the death of George Frost, who was an early mentor of John Constable's.
'Creating Constable' will focus on the artist's early Suffolk years and the social network that helped him develop.
Emma Roodhouse, Collections and Learning Curator, who's been working on the project for Ipswich Museums, said: "This album will provide an opportunity for further research into the family and will be a prominent feature in the new exhibition."
Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council's Museums Service Portfolio Holder, said: "These artworks are a wonderful addition to the Ipswich collection, and the upcoming exhibition will give the people of Ipswich new insight into such a famous local artist."
Chairman of The Friends of the Ipswich Museums, Richard Wilson, added: "At this time of tremendous uncertainty, the determination of all parties to work together to ensure this historic album’s purchase and conservation is a commitment to those future generations who will enjoy and learn from it."