Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park

What to see at Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park

The art gallery is housed inside a Grade I-listed 18th-century mansion set among 49ha (120 acres) of Capability Brown-landscaped grounds.

There are six permanent collections in the art gallery, which include:

British Folk Art
This gallery focuses on British folk art, primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries. This includes works by people with no formal artistic training using a wide variety of media, including moving automata such as the Potter’s Workshop (below).

British Portraits
The collection of British portraits includes portraits of many people who have shaped Britain’s history including royalty and the aristocracy.

Chinese Art
The gallery’s Chinese collection features over 1500 years of Chinese art including works in bronze from the early Shang to the Han Dynasty.

Marx-Lambert
This gallery houses an extensive collection of English popular art, curated by artist Enid Marx (1902–1998) and historian Margaret Lambert (1906–1995).

Neapolitan Art
This is one of the most important collections of Neapolitan art from the 17th and 18th centuries, which is a time when Naples was three times as large as Rome.

Northern European Art
The gallery’s Northern European collection features artwork that spans the 200-year-long period from 1450 to 1650, a period when the majority of paintings were dominated by religious topics.

The Compton Verney Art Gallery also includes the Women’s Library, which was created in 1860 to promote women’s education and suffrage.

Temporary exhibitions at Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park

The art gallery hosts a programme of temporary exhibitions, which include:

Landscape and Imagination: From Gardens to Land Art
The Landscape and Imagination exhibition (until 16 June 2024) lets you explore the connection between art and the landscape through a collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures. The exhibition takes in formal gardens of the 17th and 18th centuries to modern environmentally conscious land artists, showcasing the impact of artists and gardeners on nature. The exhibition features works by Claude Lorrain, Nicolas Poussin, JMW Turner plus historic garden plans and contemporary pieces by Anya Gallaccio and Ian Hamilton Finlay.

A Spirit Inside
A Spirit Inside (until 1 September 2024) showcases a selection of artworks that delve into how women and non-binary artists have explored the concept of ‘spirit’, covering themes from mythology and internal reflection to outward, often political, expression. The exhibition features artists ranging from historical legends to contemporary figures, including Leonora Carrington, Winifred Nicholson, Bridget Riley, Miriam Schapiro, Man Fung Yi, and Permindar Kaur, among others.

Reunited: The Lamentation Altarpiece
For the first time in three decades, a rare masterpiece, the Lamentation Altarpiece, will be showcased with its central panel from The National Gallery of Scotland’s collection reunited with the original wings from Compton Verney’s collection. This display (until 2 February 2026) in the gallery’s Northern European collection allows you to delve into the mysteries of the painting, learning more about its origin and significance.

TaoTie
The TaoTie exhibition (until 31 March 2026) will sit alongside Compton Verney’s Neolithic Chinese Bronzes collection. Gayle Chong Kwan (b.1974), known for her large-scale installations involving videos and photos, will introduce nine new photographic works influenced by her recent 18-month residency at Compton Verney. These will be complemented by ‘shrines’ featuring newly cast bronze offerings, referencing Chinese, Taoist and Buddhist cultures, and exploring themes of food, soil and the body. The exhibition’s title, TaoTie, alludes to a mythical Chinese creature frequently found on Shang Dynasty bronzes, with personal three-dimensional taotie motifs made from collaged images and photographs, each representing a different Chinese zodiac animal and drawing from Hungry Ghost festival mythology.

Sculpture in the Park
Sculpture in the Park (until 2 May 2027) features works by eight contemporary artists. Inspired by Compton Verney’s historical setting, the sculptures challenge the notion of 18th-century landscape design as a form of utopia.

Louise Bourgeois Artist Rooms
The Louise Bourgeois exhibition (6 July–6 October 2024) honours the multifaceted talent of this influential modern artist, merging works from The Easton Foundation, Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland. The exhibition includes prints, drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations, delving into recurring themes in Bourgeois’ work, exploring concepts like motherhood, family, art as a cathartic outlet, cycles of time and nature as a metaphor for the body. Beyond the galleries, site-specific installations extend to Compton Verney’s grounds, featuring key loans positioned within permanent collections and sculptural installations. Notably, an iconic bronze Spider sculpture by Bourgeois will grace the space between the house and the lake.

Portrait Miniatures, 1550–1850
In collaboration with portrait miniatures expert Emma Rutherford, the Portrait Miniatures exhibition (21 September 2024–21 March 2025) explores the history of portrait miniatures. Presenting Compton Verney’s complete Grantchester Miniatures collection for the first time, alongside selections from the Dumas Egerton Trust collection and significant works from individual collectors, the exhibition offers a glimpse into the works of prominent British miniature painters.

Chila Kumari Singh Burman
This solo exhibition (26 October 2024–1 March 2025) showcases previously unseen neon and sculptural works by contemporary UK artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE (b.1957), which will be displayed alongside earlier prints, collages and films, spanning a 40-year period. The collection reflects Burman’s exploration of themes such as her Punjabi cultural identity, feminism and her working-class upbringing in Liverpool. The exhibition will feature a large-scale neon intervention on the house’s façade, showcasing Burman’s distinctive style.

Exploring the park

Compton Verney’s extensive grounds comprise a major part of the visitor experience. The park includes walking trails with interesting diversions built into the landscape including outdoor art exhibits.

Visiting Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park

Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park is located in the countryside around 16km (10 miles) south of Warwick and Leamington Spa and 13.5km (8½ miles) east of Stratford-upon-Avon.

It is around a 15-minute drive from either of these towns. You can also get here by bus route 6 from Stratford-upon-Avon (a 30-minute journey), although this bus does not run very frequently and it is best suited if you’re travelling by car.

The admission fee is fairly pricey, especially if you’re used to visiting free museums and art galleries, but you can get in for half price if you have a National Art Pass.

It is fully wheelchair accessible with provisions in place for both hearing and visually impaired visitors.

Compton Verney has a gift shop plus the Compton Kitchen self-service cafe.