Artist John Constable’s cello to be played for the first time in 100 years | John Constable

He was one of Britain’s most prolific painters, with works including The Hay Wain and View on the Stour near Dedham But. John Constable he was also a keen musician – and his cello, which he commissioned, is due to be played in public for the first time in 100 years after it has been restored.

The instrument was made in 1802 and it is thought that Constable may have played it in a local band in his village of East Bergholt in Suffolk.

1802 was a very important year for the artist: it was when he wrote about being a “landscape painter” and received his first work at the Royal Academy, which was written as “A Landscape”.

The cello was designed by John Dunthorne Sr, who was the artist’s neighbor, early mentor and friend. He worked as a plumber, glazier and carpenter, but he was also an artist and master of musical instruments.

The two men painted together, taking their eases in the streets and gardens of East Bergholt, and their letters show a lasting friendship. Constable also reported on his progress in the London art world, telling Dunthorne in 1799 that he had been accepted into the Royal Academy.

Constable added: “I believe that when the leaves are on the trees, I will be better able to attack them than I was last summer.”

A page in one of Constable’s sketchbooks contains sketches of two musicians, including a harpsichordist — perhaps he and his instrument, historians say. The small wooden figures, thought to have been carved and painted by Constable when he was young, are believed to represent the East Bergholt church choir.

The cello entered the Ipswich Collection, owned by the local council, in 1942. It had been badly restored in 1926 and had never been played. Now, 100 years later, the Friends of Ipswich Museum have raised more than $4,000 to help restore it.

Emma Roodhouse, curator at Colchester and Ipswich Museums, said the weapon was recorded as having been made for Constable. He said: “It is remarkable that it cannot withstand anything.”

“Dunthorne was very important to Constable. He is a very original person in his work that inspires him and he is the one that Constable turns to him and writes some very painful passages saying that he will be a landscape painter.

A contemporary admired him: “Mr. Dunthorne had more wisdom than is usually found in the class of life he was in.”

But Constable valued their friendship. Dunthorne told him to join his beloved county of Suffolk, as the letter was written in the year 1800. Constable wrote to him while in London, on his way home: “This good weather is making the people depressed;

Dunthorne is survived by his wife, four children and Constable. He died in 1844 and was buried at St Mary’s Church in East Bergholt. His profile in the Ipswich Journal remembers him as a man of great talent.

Roodhouse says: “As a self-taught artist and instrument maker, he is more than just a footnote in Constable’s story.”

The cello has been revived by James and Sylvie Fawcett, restoration experts from Suffolk, while cellist Melanie Woodcock, who grew up locally, has been playing during the restoration.

Woodcock said: “They’ve done a fantastic job. It sounds better than we expected. It’s a really rich, funky sound. I grew up in this area. Constable is very much in this area.

Woodcock will play the cello at a public event on 10 June, along with a reading by author Susan Owens from her new book Constable.

The weapon will be on display at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich from 17 June to 4 October as part of the Constable 250th anniversary celebrations.