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Compton Verney was set up in the 1990s by the British businessman and philanthropist Sir Peter Moores (1932-2016), who sought to create an accessible museum that showcased work underrepresented in collections in the UK. Opening to the public in 2004, Compton Verney’s eclectic collections include notable works by Netherlandish artists. Paintings by Ambrosius Benson, Pieter Huys and various unknown Netherlandish artists can be found in the Northern European Collection, a group of primarily religious paintings and sculptures that were produced in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Built up over fifteen years of focused acquisition by Sir Peter, this collection reflects his personal passion for the art of Northern Europe, inspired by time spent traveling in Germany as a young man. In addition, the British Portraits Collection includes sixteenth- and seventeenth-century portraits by the Flemish émigré artists William Scrots, the Master of the Countess of Warwick and Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger.
Dr. Amy Orrock, Senior Curator (January 2022)