World famous Constable painting on display at Jarrow Viking Shopping Centre
A world famous painting has gone on display in an empty unit in a shopping centre.
The Cornfield, painted by John Constable in the 1800s, is on loan from the National Gallery and is being displayed in the Viking Centre, in Jarrow,
It will be at the centre until Sunday 25 June.
The painting was completed in Constable’s London studio in 1826, and depicts a Suffolk lane, shown winding into a cornfield.
It is said to be based on Fen Lane which Constable often walked along as a boy from his own village of East Bergholt to Dedham where he attended school.
The painting has come to Jarrow as part of the National Gallery’s bi-annual visits programme and will be appearing in high streets and community spaces across the country throughout June and July.
Keith Merrin, director of Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, said: “It has been fantastic to work with the National Gallery to bring such an important artwork right into the heart of one of our local communities.
"We have been working with our communities to prepare for the arrival of the painting and have developed resources for schools and community groups focused on sensory storytelling.
"We hope that people who visit the shop to see The Cornfields are inspired to visit more of our wonderful cultural venues in South Tyneside and the wider North East region.”
South Tyneside residents are encouraged to drop in to view the famous artwork, free of charge, before it moves on to its next destination.
Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, said: “Running the visits tour is a highlight for us at the gallery.
"It is an exciting way for us to connect with new partners all over the UK, and to be part of their outstanding work with their local communities."
She added: "Through our collection we want to enrich lives by connecting art, people and ideas across centuries, countries and cultures; our partners drive the conversations about the painting and how they want to respond to it.
"It is always exciting to see the playful, creative and inclusive learning opportunities that grow out of these collaborations.”
Mary McMahon, Bernays curatorial fellow of British Paintings, said: “Constable’s paintings encourage us to engage with the beauty of the countryside that surrounds us in the UK, and the role memory plays in our attachment to it.
"It’s the perfect painting to remind everyone who sees it that wild spaces, just like great art, belong to us all.”
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