- Portrait of Charles I by Sir Anthony van Dyck © The Chequers Trust
A rare collection of historically significant paintings and artifacts from Chequers, the official country residence of the British Prime Minister, is now on display at Compton Verney in Warwickshire. The items in the collection have not been seen by the public for almost a century.
Portraits from Chequers: Kings, Queens and Revolutionaries includes portraits of Mary I, Lady Margaret Beaufort, James I, Lady Mary Grey, sister of Lady Jane Grey, Charles I and his wife, The Children of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Claypole, Daughter of Oliver Cromwell. The exhibition also features a mother of pearl and ruby locket ring belonging to Queen Elizabeth I, which contains portraits of the queen and her mother, Anne Boleyn.
Portraits from Chequers is on display within the British Portraits Gallery alongside Compton Verney’s paintings of Edward VI, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
Kathleen Soriano, Director of Compton Verney says, “Portraits from Chequers offers the perfect opportunity to view this important collection of portraits in an historical context. This display is a testament to the support and encouragement of the Chequers Estate in the creation of this display and, with the Estate, we are delighted to be making these works accessible to a broader public.”
Chequers is considered one of Britain’s most famous houses, with an important collection of paintings, furniture and decorative arts. Because the house is the country seat of the Prime Minister, it is not open to the public. The house, which was built in the sixteenth-century, was given to the nation as a country retreat for the serving Prime Minister in 1917. Since then, the Chequers collection has only been seen by government officials and visiting dignitaries.
Compton Verney also holds an important place in British history. Until the early 20th century, the estate was home to the Verney or ‘Willoughby de Broke’ family for almost 500 years. The current house was designed by Robert Adam in the 1760s and is set in more than 120 acres of classical parkland landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The house and grounds were in a state of decay after decades of neglect when the estate was purchased in 1993 by the Peter Moores Foundation. Since then, it has been transformed into a gallery for six permanent collections, focusing on areas currently under-represented in British museums and galleries.
Portraits from Chequers: Kings, Queens and Revolutionaries is on display through 14 December 2008 at Compton Verney in Warwickshire.
