A PAINTING by John Constable, which has been unseen in Salisbury for more than 60 years, is finally going on show at the Salisbury Museum in a landmark moment for the institution.

View of Salisbury from Harnham Ridge, a major discovery in the artist’s catalogue that has been hidden away in a private collection since the 1960s, has been studied by leading art historian and Constable specialist Timothy Wilcox. Now, on the 250th anniversary of Constable’s birth, the painting goes on public display in Salisbury for the first time in 60 years.

The actual unveiling will be marked by a special public talk from Timothy Wilcox on Thursday 11th June, when he will reveal the remarkable story of how this “lost” masterpiece was researched.

Dating from the early 1820s, this oil on canvas (32.7 x 50.2 cm) depicts Salisbury Cathedral, the River Avon and the water meadows, viewed from Harnham Ridge. This is a landscape that Constable knew intimately during his frequent visits to stay with the Fisher family.

The work compares favourably with a near-identical painting now held in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, both produced during a particularly prolific period when Constable created multiple versions of his most beloved compositions.
Despite its modest scale, the painting showcases Constable’s exceptional skill in oil sketching – a relatively innovative technique for landscape painting at the time – with its distinctive fluid brushwork and masterful treatment of sky.

Constable’s deep personal connection to Salisbury is well-known. He stayed with the Right Rev John Bishop, Bishop of Salisbury, and his nephew John Fisher, a close friend who hosted Constable in Dorset during his honeymoon in 1816. The painter made many visits to capture the cathedral and surrounding landscape.

View of Salisbury from Harnham Ridge will be on long-term loan at the Salisbury Museum until 2030, displayed in the Salisbury Gallery alongside a Constable drawing, engravings by David Lucas, and other significant British works including paintings by JWM Turner and Rex Whistler.

Adrian Green, Director of The Salisbury Museum, comments: “This is truly a special moment. The Salisbury Museum has never had a Constable painting on long-term display before – a tragedy given his intimate bond with our landscape. Now, finally, we can rectify that. The people of Salisbury and all our visitors will finally be able to see Constable’s vision of Salisbury, in the place itself. It feels like a homecoming.”