From Constable: Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (plate 1) 1996 - 1997

Curator: Before us is Leon Kossoff's "From Constable: Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (plate 1)." Kossoff, born in 1926, produced this print, held in the Tate Collections, as an homage to Constable. Editor: It's agitated, almost frantic. The lines feel raw, full of unresolved tension, a far cry from Constable's pastoral serenity. Curator: Precisely. Kossoff engages with Constable's iconic image, deconstructing it through his signature impasto style, translated here into etching. The cathedral, usually a symbol of stability, seems on the verge of dissolving. Editor: I read this as a commentary on post-war England. The cathedral, representing tradition, is under pressure. Kossoff, as a Jewish artist, perhaps felt that tension acutely, reflecting societal anxieties about change and loss. Curator: An interesting interpretation. Certainly, the use of stark black and white, the layering of lines, creates a sense of unease, a visual representation of trauma and resilience. Editor: The density of lines speaks to an experience of displacement, a landscape redrawn by conflict and memory. Curator: The image provides a potent reminder that even the most familiar symbols can be re-contextualized to reflect the complexities of lived experience. Editor: Indeed, Kossoff challenges us to question what we think we know about place, memory, and belonging.