AS one of the most celebrated landscape artists ever to have put paintbrush to six-foot canvas, the legacy of John Constable (1776-1837) reaches far and wide, including his name now being synonymous with the surrounding Suffolk and Essex countryside.

But how did the son of a merchant rise to such heights of artistic fame and legacy?

As part of the 250-year celebrations of Constable’s birth by Colchester + Ipswich Museums (CIMS), a new exhibition at Christchurch Mansion, in Ipswich, made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will reveal stories about the people who helped turn Suffolk into ‘Constable Country’.

With over 100 works and objects, including portraits, sketches and landscapes by the artist himself and others, Constable: A Cast of Characters (28 March – 14 June) will delve deep into the background characters of Constable’s life; from family to early supporters recognising his talent, and the friends and patrons that sustained him during his long career.

Continuing the family’s creative legacy, new works by internationally acclaimed sculptor Sasha Constable (b.1970) – a direct descendant of the artist – will also be displayed.