A NEW exhibition at The Arc is displaying a lesser-known side of the renowned artist John Constable, which includes pieces from the Tate, and Victoria and Albert Museum.
This unique exhibition is curated especially for the Hampshire Cultural Trust and will run from Friday, May 26 to Wednesday August 16.
"There's this very interesting side of John Constable, who was very good at displaying these themes of light and dark" says Nicola Moorby, the curator of Constable: The Dark Side.
"We wanted to explore that, particularly with the darkness in his personal life, he had real struggles including things that are very identifiable that most people today would recognise.
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"Anxiety about your professional situation, struggles with working with small children in the house, worries about bereavement and illness, and these things impact very strongly on his ability to work."
The exhibition takes a deep look into Constable's personal life, and explores his struggles with loss and tragedy.
A thread running through the exhibition is the use of Constable's own words, there are quotes from his letters displayed with every piece.
"Some are very powerful, if you aren't in tears by the end of it I shall be disappointed.
Nicola personally selected each piece for this exhibition, many of which stray away from the 'traditional' Constable who is best known for works such as 'The Hay Wain.'
"Although we tend to associate him as somebody where the Sun always shines and there's lots of blue skies, actually this exhibition focuses on lots of storms and times when things were very difficult in his life, looking at those weather effects where drama and tension can be detected."
Visitors will be able to relate to the artwork on display, which reflects Constable's journey through his mental health.
There is a focus on 'Chiaroscuro' - literally meaning light-dark in Italian - in the art world is refers to tonal contrasts.
"We talk a lot today about mental health and emotional resilience and coping strategies, and I think Constable is a really good person to look at because he uses nature and art as ways to come through those difficult times.
"It's ultimately about triumph and hope.
"We have some loans from some really high profile institutions, the Tate, the Royal Academy, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and also some loans from the Constable family as well.
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Nicola is particularly pleased to have these highly regarded pieces on display in Winchester.
"Rain Storm over the Sea is a work I've always said that I would happily have at home, it's such a powerful expression of the natural world, he paints a storm but there is always a gleam of light in Constable's darkness.
"It's incredible to get some really fantastic pieces out of London.
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