A clash of "Fire & Water"

JMW Turner and John Constable are arguably our greatest landscape painters and were born 250 years ago. A fabulous exhibition at Tate Britain (until April 12th 2026) showcases their interweaving lives and legacies. Turner was born in the heart of London, in Maiden Lane, was widely travelled and had early recognition from the Royal Academy. Turner's landscapes are suffused with light and action; they paved the way for impressionism whilst Constable stayed close to his Suffolk roots and painted sublime, bucolic images of a slow-paced rural life England long lost to mechanisation and haste. How to choose between them? Why bother? Just go and enjoy the many magnificent pieces of art which haven't been seen in this country for many years.

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons JMW Turner 1835

Turner's dramatic depiction of the catastrophic fire which destroyed much of the Houses of Parliament in 1834 captures a major historical event in the heart of Westminster and is on loan from a gallery in the USA.