Haywain with Cruise Missiles thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Haywain with Cruise Missiles

Photograph
1980 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In this subversive photomontage, three nuclear warheads are inserted into the idyllic East Anglian countryside depicted in John Constable's famous painting The Hay Wain (1821). The impetus for this work was the proposal to hone US nuclear cruise missiles in rural East Anglia. It was also a response to a Ministry of Defence leaflet that portrayed the missiles in delicate watercolours.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleHaywain with Cruise Missiles (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Photomontage
Brief description
Photograph by Peter Kennard, 'Haywain with Cruise Missiles', photographic collage, London, 1980
Physical description
A black and white photograph depicting an altered version of Constable's oil painting The Hay Wain. Inside the hay wain there are now three nuclear warheads and a man in military gear holding a grenade in his right hand.
Dimensions
  • Print height: 55.2cm
  • Print width: 81.6cm
  • Frame height: 56.1cm (Note: Measurement of object when framed)
  • Frame width: 81.6cm (Note: Measurement of object when framed - frame does not exceed width of print)
  • Height of grid height: 500cm (Note: Size of grid when all 18 photographs in the series are displayed together)
  • Width of grid width: 784cm (Note: Size of grid when all 18 photographs in the series are displayed together)
Gallery label
In this subversive photomontage, three nuclear warheads are inserted into the idyllic East Anglian countryside depicted in John Constable's famous painting The Hay Wain (1821). The impetus for this work was the proposal to hone US nuclear cruise missiles in rural East Anglia. It was also a response to a Ministry of Defence leaflet that portrayed the missiles in delicate watercolours. (11/08/2011-27/11/2011)
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
In this subversive photomontage, three nuclear warheads are inserted into the idyllic East Anglian countryside depicted in John Constable's famous painting The Hay Wain (1821). The impetus for this work was the proposal to hone US nuclear cruise missiles in rural East Anglia. It was also a response to a Ministry of Defence leaflet that portrayed the missiles in delicate watercolours.
Bibliographic reference
Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1994
Collection
Accession number
E.859-1994

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Record createdApril 3, 2009
Record URL
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