Bruegel to Rembrandt:
Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder
member preview
Friday 13 March 2026
Access to this exhibition preview is for Compton Verney members only.
Find out more about our memberships here
Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching Wonder opens to visitors on Saturday 14 March.
When visiting this exhibition, we want you to feel like you could be peering over the shoulder of the artist as they contemplate the next steps of their sketch, such is the sense of immediacy in many of the works on display.
This exhibition, rich in detail, benefits from a close look. Over 60 pieces draw you in, giving you the opportunity to get up close, examine the detail and understand the techniques and skill on display.
The creative approach of these artists had huge influence on the art of subsequent centuries – some pieces look as if they could have been drawn yesterday despite being over 500 years old.
Whilst the subject of some of the artworks are as familiar to us now as they would have been to those seeing them in the 16th century, others are more fantastical, based in imagination and may seem quite alien, as well as playful. We can feel a connection to this time period through shared humour, and common concerns that continue to be relevant in our lives today.
Your membership gets you an exclusive look at this new exhibition before it opens to the general public. For the majority of the pieces, it’ll be first time anyone has seen them in the UK.
Book your place.
Feeling inspired?
Try techniques and mediums used by the Old Masters in
Drawing Wonder: A Masterclass Mini Series
Read more about the exhibition
Bruegel to Rembrandt: Drawing Life, Sketching WonderKeen to learn more?
Join Jane Simpkiss, the exhibition’s curator, for an exclusive tour followed by further conversation over refreshment in the café at a
Curator Tour and Tea