Delve into the fascinating history of portrait miniatures in this sumptuous exhibition.
Over 800 portrait miniatures from Compton Verney's Grantchester Miniatures collection and the Dumas Egerton Trust collection go on display alongside key works loaned by individual collectors. This will give visitors a rare opportunity to see some of the leading miniatures painters working in Britain between 1550 and 1850, including Isaac Oliver, Samuel Cooper, Richard Cosway and George Engleheart.
These highly personal artworks were often commission to mark important moments in peoples' lives, from marriage to going away to war, and this exhibition will draw out stories from the sitters' lives. These tiny, portable artworks also chart changing fashions across centuries, from the intricate lace ruffs popular in the late Elizabethan period to the towering powdered wigs of the Georgian period. Costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company's collection will also be displayed to illustrate how the miniatures would have been worn.
Get a National Art Pass and explore Compton Verney
You'll see more art and your membership will help museums across the UK
National Art Pass offers available at Compton Verney
Visitor information
Address
Compton Verney House, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, CV35 9HZ
01926 645500
Opening times
Tue – Sun, 10am-5pm
Mon – Closed, except bank holidays.
Galleries open from 10.30am
Visitor information
What else is on at Compton Verney
The more you see, the more we do.
The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.