Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1)
- Artist: Leon Kossoff
- Date: 1998
- Medium: Etching on paper
- Dimensions: image: 430 x 559 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the *Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1)* by Leon Kossoff, printed in 1998. Kossoff, a lifelong admirer of the National Gallery’s old masters, took on the challenge of translating John Constable’s 1831 oil painting into an etching. The original painting shows the cathedral from the north‑west, with Long Bridge over the River Avon on the far right and a striking rainbow arching above and to the right of the structure—an element that Kossoff echoes with a foreground tree.
In the print, Kossoff’s hand is unmistakable: the plate is dark, drypoint lines add grit, and selective wiping highlights key areas. The resulting image is a reverse of Constable’s composition, so the rainbow and tree become the focal points in this new version. Kossoff never published the piece as an edition; the work we see is the only trial proof.
The process was a collaborative one: Ann Dowker prepared the plate, acid‑biting and wiping, while Mark Balakjian printed it at Studio Prints. Kossoff viewed the etching as a dialogue—an intimate study that allowed him to “move about in its imaginative spaces” and find contact with the older painter’s vision. The print stands as a testament to his lifelong commitment to drawing and to the conversation between contemporary and classic art.
See it in person
Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1) is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
