Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk

It was only with the rising popularity of Impressionism that John Constable (1776–1837) won whole-hearted recognition in his native country. Now ranked alongside JMW Turner as one of England’s greatest painters, Constable is the source of some of the best-known images in British art. This tour will study the influence of the Suffolk countryside on Constable and his near contemporary Gainsborough, one of the founders of the British landscape tradition.

“I fancy I see Gainsborough in every hedge and hollow tree,” said Constable of the Suffolk countryside. As we wander along the banks of the River Stour, where Constable spent his “careless boyhood”, we will discover that Flatford Mill, Dedham Lock and Willy Lott’s cottage – immortalised in The Hay Wain – have changed little over two centuries. We will stroll through the country lanes of East Bergholt, where the artist’s first studio was located, and view his Ascension in Dedham’s parish church.

Slightly further afield, we will visit Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich to see artworks including Willy Lott’s Cottage and the intimate companion pieces Golding Constable’s Vegetable Garden and Golding Constable’s Flower Garden.

We will examine Gainsborough’s roots in his native Suffolk with a walking tour of Sudbury, viewing sites such as the church he attended as a child and houses where he and members of his family lived. We also look forward to a special guest lecture with a member of staff from Gainsborough’s House, which is undergoing a major redevelopment and refurbishment aimed at transforming the museum into the National Centre for Gainsborough. We will gain insights into the artist’s life and legacy, and the ambitions and challenges of delivering this fascinating project.

Our base for this tour will be the beautiful four-star Hintlesham Hall Hotel, a 16th century Grade I listed manor house, set in 175 acres of Suffolk countryside.

This tour will be led by Stella Lyons, BA, MA, an art history lecturer and speaker accredited with the Arts Society, who lectures regularly throughout the UK, Europe and in Asia. Stella studied at the universities of Bristol and Warwick, as well as in Venice and at the British Institute of Florence. She also attended drawing classes at the prestigious Charles H Cecil studios in Florence. Her particular interests include the Italian Renaissance and 19th century British art.