The Bernard Jacobson Gallery in London is presenting an exhibition titled "For John Constable," which reunites a portfolio of prints originally published by gallerist Bernard Jacobson in 1976. The 1976 project featured works by 19 contemporary artists, including David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, and Howard Hodgkin, created in response to the legacy of the English landscape painter John Constable, marking his bicentenary. The exhibition, timed for the 250th anniversary of Constable's birth, runs through February 27, 2026.
The show highlights a pivotal moment in Jacobson's career as a publisher and editor, showcasing his personal passion for Constable over the more fashionable J.M.W. Turner. It serves as a cogent examination of artistic influence, demonstrating the diverse stylistic and technical results when a group of leading artists are given a single inspirational starting point and complete creative freedom. The reunion of the portfolio offers a historical snapshot of 1970s British art and the role of dealer-led publishing projects.