Purpose

To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of
Britain’s two most famous artists, J.M.W. Turner and John
Constable, Tate Britain is curating the first major exhibition
looking at these painters in tandem. Ipswich’s collections
will be a prominent feature in this landmark exhibition, Turner and
Constable: Two Visions of Landscape, demonstrating the importance
of the Ipswich
collection in the British art historical
canon.
 
Ipswich Museums has a long standing and
mutually beneficial relationship with Tate, who have supported
multiple exhibitions at Christchurch Mansion over the last decade;
including the Aspire, Year of Constable project in 2015, a letter
of support for the acquisition of Constable’s A Lime Kiln,
the cleaning of Constable’s Millstream, and the loan of
Auguste Rodin’s The Kiss
for the exhibition Kiss & Tell. Tate have
also committed to lending works to Ipswich's exhibitions as well as
collaborate on future events to enhance the anniversary year, the
details of which are yet to be finalised.
 
Tate have requested the following for their
exhibition:
IPSMG: R.1916.12 - Avenue of Trees, c.1820,
oil on canvas
IPSMG: R.1941.72 - The Mill Stream, c.1814,
oil on canvas
IPSMG: R.1929.31 - Willy Lott’s House,
29 July 1816, oil on paper laid onto canvas.
 
The loan of these works would not interfere
with the scheduled programme for the Constable 250 exhibition in
2026 at Christchurch Mansion.
Loan commences: 10th November 2025
Loan ends: 28th April 2026
Exhibition dates: 27 Nov 2025 – 12 April
2026

Decision

To agree to the loan request.
 
Reason:
To allow for Ipswich owned artworks to be
viewed on a national platform.