ONE of the greatest masterpieces of British artwork, John Constable’s ‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’, will be on display at Oriel y Parc Gallery and Visitor Centre in St Davids between Saturday (Mar 19) and Sunday September 11.

The work of art, painted in 1831, has been displayed in various galleries and museums all around the Britain as part of its current five year UKwide tour, before it will return to Tate Britain in 2018.

‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ depicts the impressive cathedral against a striking background of billowing clouds and a shining rainbow, with the scene being viewed from across the River Nadder.

The scene, in the past, has been interpreted by scholars as a metaphor for political pressure felt by the Church of England as well as the emotional turmoil Constable was feeling following the death of his beloved wife, and childhood friend, after the birth of their seventh child.

Shortly after her death, Constable wrote a letter to his brother stating: “Hourly do I feel the loss of my departed Angel… the face of the World is totally changed to me.”

John Constable is famous for his landscapes and many feature the Suffolk countryside where he was born and grew up. Over the years, he made many open-air sketches, using these as a basis for his large exhibition paintings, which he worked on in his studio.

Today, his pictures of popularly accepted as masterpieces of British landscape painting but during his lifetime, a debate surrounded his different and ground-breaking techniques.

Of all his paintings, ‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ is the most loaded in meaning and the one of which he was most proud, calling it ‘The Great Salisbury’. Of the painting, he wrote: “I am told I got it to look better than anything I have yet done.”

‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ was secured for the British public back in 2013 through the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Manton Foundation, the Art Fund, Tate Members and a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation.

Prior to the 2013 acquisition of the piece, it had been on show at the National Gallery on a long-term loan since 1983, being displayed briefly in the Constable Room at Tate Britain ahead of its UK tour.

At Oriel y Parc, the famous painting loan will be complemented by an exhibition of works from the existing collections of Tate and Amgueddfa Cymru National Museum Wales.

In particular, included in the collection will be a selection of work by one of Constable’s major art rivals, Joseph Mallord William Turner, who previously travelled to Pembrokeshire in 1795. His interpretation of the famous local landmark, ‘Entrance to the Great Hall of the Bishops Palace, St Davids’, will also be included in the exhibit.

Accompanying the impressive art display will be a series of different celebratory events and various learning activities both in St Davids and in its surrounding areas to celebrate John Constable’s 240th birthday in June.

The Oriel y Parc exhibition will explore the ways in which ‘Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows’ represents a personal and emotional approach to landscape painting which can be traced through to Graham Sutherland’s Neo-Romantic interpretations of Pembrokeshire in the twentieth century.

Councillor Mike James, Chairman of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, said: “We are delighted to be part of the Aspire partnership project, which has enabled us to bring one of the great masterpieces of British art to Oriel y Parc.

“The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s world-class landscape has inspired many artists through the centuries, just as the Suffolk landscape inspired Constable to create this colossal work of art.

“Although Constable’s masterpiece is the focal point of the display at Oriel y Parc, it will be accompanied by a range of works that explore the link between art and the inspirational qualities of the landscape, something which has drawn people to this western corner of Wales for centuries.

“This exhibition will help to cement Oriel y Parc’s growing reputation as one of the finest galleries in Wales and we hope it will inspire more people to explore the Pembrokeshire Coast during the Year of Adventure.”

For more information about Constable and his exhibition at Oriel y Parc Gallery and Visitor Centre in St Davids, visit www.orielyparc.co.uk/constable.