Tickets $18 or use ACS Pass
The new documentary *Turner & Constable*, directed by David Bickerstaff and part of the acclaimed **Exhibition on Screen** series, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the births of two of Britain’s greatest landscape painters, J.M.W. Turner and John Constable. Released in cinemas starting March 10, 2026, the film delves into their intertwined lives, fierce rivalry, and enduring legacies, drawing on exclusive access to the groundbreaking Tate Britain exhibition *Turner & Constable: Rivals and Originals* (which ran from November 2025 to April 2026). Viewers are treated to intimate glimpses of the artists’ sketchbooks, personal items, and masterpieces, alongside insights from leading experts that reveal unexpected facets of their personalities and creative processes. As contemporaries born just a year apart—Turner in 1775 and Constable in 1776—they transformed landscape painting to mirror a rapidly changing world, with critics of their era likening their contrasting styles to a dramatic clash of “fire and water.”
Press materials and promotional descriptions have hailed the film as an “unmissable” cinematic experience that brings the extraordinary art and stories of these rivals to the big screen in vivid detail. The official synopsis describes it as exploring “Turner and Constable’s intertwined lives and legacies alongside the groundbreaking Tate exhibition,” while emphasizing how Exhibition on Screen provides “exclusive and privileged access” to make audiences feel immersed in both the film and the original show. One promotional highlight notes that it allows viewers to “discover unexpected sides to both artists” through rare views and expert commentary, positioning the documentary as a must-see companion to the landmark anniversary celebrations. Early coverage echoes this enthusiasm, framing it as a compelling tribute to the painters’ competitive yet defining influence on British art.