The Hay Wain

Available for over a year

We have been making art for tens of thousands of years. But very few of these many millions of images have become truly famous. Only a handful of artworks have entered popular culture, as fridge magnets, greetings cards and biscuit tins – becoming instantly recognisable all over the world. Art historian Dr James Fox tells the story of one such painting, John Constable's The Hay Wain. For more than a century, The Hay Wain has been all around us. It's been reproduced in magazines and on merchandise, in cartoons and advertisements and featured on propaganda posters and at protests. But why did it hit the big time? Christine Riding of The National Gallery and the photomontage artist and activist Peter Kennard contribute as James traces The Hay Wain's progress through the artistic stratosphere to global celebrity. Producer: Julia Johnson A TBI Media production for BBC Radio 4