Compton Verney, the Grade I Georgian mansion in Warwickshire, is a delight to visit at any time of the year not least to enjoy the 120 acres of gardens designed by Capability Brown. It is also one of the UK’s lesser known national art galleries, with six permanent collections and a packed programme of changing exhibitions as well as study days. This spring sees a show devoted to paintings of children that spans five centuries and featuring portraits, amusing genre scenes and touching ‘fancy pictures’.
Among the key loans are Van Dyck’s The Five Eldest Children of Charles I (1637) from the Royal Collection, Hogarth’s The Graham Children (1742) from the National Gallery, and best known of all Millais’ Bubbles (1886) from National Museums Liverpool. The last room is devoted to intimate portrayals of artists’ own children, with works by Stanley Spencer, Louise Bourgeois, Jacob Epstein and Lucian Freud.
From March 14th – June 16th at Compton Verney, Warwickshire, UK
www.comptonverney.org.uk
