Compton Verney turns 20 this year. It deserves more than the modest bouquet of balloons in its foyer. A world-class museum in a Georgian mansion, combined with gleaming contemporary galleries and a sculpture park unfolding through the undulations of Capability Brown’s gracious landscaped grounds, it is nigh on perfect.
The birthday celebrations are typically generous: a trio of exhibitions plus new outdoor sculptures. This is true to the spirit of Sir Peter Moores, who bought and transformed a once-derelict property for the public’s pleasure. His wonderfully eccentric collection includes Neapolitan paintings of Vesuvius erupting in scarlet fireworks, portraits from Lucas Cranach to Joshua Reynolds, Samuel Cooper’s celebrated miniature of Oliver Cromwell, warts and all, unrivalled British folk art and ancient Chinese glories.
