The painting was a “very carefully constructed work”, which Constable painted in London, Mr Rumberg said.
“The Hay Wain, when it was first shown in 1821, wasn’t really well received at all, and it wasn’t until a few years later, when the picture was shown in the Salon in Paris, that it was recognised as one of the most important landscape pictures.
“And he was given the golden medal in Paris, so you could argue the French really appreciated him more,” he added.
He said the exhibition tries to contextualise the picture, showing the finished work alongside the various sketches that led to it.