Non Modern Galleries

Today, many people think of galleries as art collections housed in fancy, modern buildings which often look like pieces of art in themselves.

However, some of the biggest and most beautiful collections with some of the most glorious historic frame work are actually displayed inside stately homes and manor houses which have been restored to showcase the wonderful artwork they display.

There are many of these spread all over the UK, some of these places we may never have heard of or even thought about as being an art gallery.

Not only are these homes a part of British history and are stunning in their own right, but the grounds and museum rooms along with the gallery and fine art works on display really are a must have day out, whether you are an art enthusiast, a historian or a family looking for a fun and educational day out.

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Compton Verney House, Warwickshire

The Compton Verney Art Gallery can be found inside the The Compton Verney House in Warwickshire, England.

The house itself is a grade 1 listed building which was built by Richard Verney in 1714.  In the 18th century, it was passed down to another Verney family member, and this is when it underwent its very first extensive extension of the main building.  Throughout the years and centuries it was passed down in the Verney family and each new owner redesigned, landscaped and extended the house.

in 1921 the Verney family sold the house to the Watson family and eventually the house was requisitioned by the army during world war II and was left vacant and derelict when the war ended.

in 1993 the derelict and run down building was brought by a charity that supports visual arts and music called the Peter Moores Foundation.  The 5 acre grounds and property were restored allowing for it to house an extensive gallery and exhibitions.

The Gallery

The Gallery at Compton Verney is made up of 6 main exhibitions and displays, these are:

  • British Portraits – A collection of noble sitters and royalty portraits from the Tudor era, housed in some beautiful and traditional framework.
  • Northern Europe – A collection dating from 1450 to 1650 during the Holy Roman Empire.
  • British Folk Art – The largest folk art collection in the uk, a diverse collection of art made by untrained artists using not just paint to create these pieces.
  • Naples – A collection of art from “Golden Age” Neapolitan dating 1600 to 1800.   Some very stunning and vintage frames are on display here.
  • Chinese – This gallery contains the largest and finest collections of ancient Chinese bronzes outside of China. A truly stunning display to see.
  • Marx Lambert – Enid Marx was a design star who emerged from the London Royal College Of Art.  She was not only a painter but an author and illustrator of children’s books and a textile designer.
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