Compton Verney announced as second exhibition venue

We are delighted to announce that following the launch of Grinling Gibbons: Centuries in the making at Bonhams, London (3-27 August 2021), the exhibition will tour to Compton Verney Art Gallery in September where it will run as a major show until January 2022.

Compton Verney is a nationally-accredited and internationally-recognised art gallery which stages some of the most important art exhibitions in the area, connecting the region to the world. It works closely with the UK’s large, state-funded national museums and galleries. Set within a ‘Capability’ Brown landscape, and located nine miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, it is ‘the national gallery on your doorstep’.

Compton Verney Director-CEO Julie Finch says “Compton Verney is delighted to work in partnership with the Grinling Gibbons Society and showcase the work of this remarkable man, his creative intent and skill have inspired so many artists over the last three hundred years. This show is perfect for Compton Verney, as we regularly explore the connections between historic and contemporary works in art across our programme.  This highly engaging and inclusive exhibition will inspire people to explore their own creative genius, through workshops, events, activities and schools’ programmes.  An exhibition for everyone, spotlighting craft, its influence on the everyday and the extraordinary, and inspiring others to originate their own craft.”

Centuries in the making will explore the influences that shaped Gibbons’ vision, skills and technique and the stylistic and cultural influences he brought to this country. Works are being assembled from national museums, regional collections, historic houses and international lenders, and combined with contemporary artworks.

Through sculpture and carving in wood and stone, drawings and sketches, portraits and documents, Centuries in the making will bring a new perspective to Gibbons and his legacy. The exhibition will also examine how Gibbons’ bold new direction changed the landscape of British carving, sculpture and interiors, and how his extraordinary creative output inspired both his contemporaries and makers across the succeeding 300 years.

The influence of Gibbons will be followed up to the present day, with works by contemporary artists and designers, and specially created artworks by talented emerging carvers.