ART HISTORIAN COMES TO WILTSHIRE TO CHALLENGE THE ALLEGED RIVALRY BETWEEN TURNER & CONSTABLE.
Art historian, Nicola Moorby, will be a keynote speaker as part of the Athelstan Museum’s events in Malmesbury to mark 250 years since the birth of painter JMW Turner.
Nicola, curator of British Art 1790 to 1850 at the Tate, will host ‘Turner vs Constable: The Great British Paint Off’, at the Rausing Building in Malmesbury on Friday May 9 at 7:30pm. She’ll talk about the alleged rivalry and animosity between two of the most famous artists of the early 19th century.
‘I’m thrilled to be able to talk to anyone in Wiltshire and beyond interested in this period of art. In particular in a town that’s home to one of Turner’s works.
‘There’s long been talk of a rivalry between Turner and Constable. Two contemporary landscape specialists with very different personalities. But was it real? Turner was more famous in his lifetime than Constable. But was this fabled rivalry proven or even accurate?’
Nicola, who lives in London has recently published her first solo book. Called Turner and Constable: Art, Life, Landscape (Yale University Press, 2025), it explores this relationship. She’s also the curator of Turner’s Kingdom: Beauty, Birds & Beasts, an exhibition at Turner’s house in Twickenham.
She’s reluctant to declare a winner of the alleged contest between Turner & Constable. Yet she admits:
‘For me, Turner is the greatest water colour painter. Water colour paints shift and change when applied to paper. And nobody worked with them with the genius and facility of Turner.’
The Athelstan Museum
The Athelstan Museum is home to a watercolour of Malmesbury Abbey by Turner thought to have been painted in about 1827. The museum acquired it with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Art Fund and some public donation. It went on public display a year later.
Carolyn Brothwood, who manages the museum’s events, said: ‘We’re so delighted that Nicola will talk to us about Turner and Constable. And will demonstrate her passion for this period of art. As one of the leading art historians on artists of the 18th and early 19th centuries, we know she’ll share her passion and knowledge with us.
Turner was born in London in April 1775 the son of a barber. He came from humble beginnings and went on to become the most famous artist of his era. In addition to becoming a Royal Academician at the youngest age ever, he was also well known as an illustrator of poetry books for famous names including Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott and Samuel Rogers. He was one of the first artists to use water colour as a primary medium for his work and he later became known as ‘the painter of light.’
Nicola said: ‘If I were to meet Turner today, I probably wouldn’t ask him about particular works. I’d be more likely to ask about his life and what his experiences were. He was a very private man. We know so little about him compared to Constable who left so many letters and writings detailing his thoughts and feelings.’
To attend Nicola’s talk in Malmesbury, tickets are available here: https://www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk/event/turner-vs-constable-the-great-british-paint-off/
