If you haven’t already seen this fantastic exhibition of the work of Eric Ravilious and his contemporaries, then you still have a few days to catch it at Compton Verney, the beautiful mansion north of Banbury. (Ravilious & Co: The Pattern of Friendship. English Artist Designers 1922-1942 closes on Sunday, 10th July).
The exhibition opened in Eastbourne last year, and has travelled to Sheffield before arriving in the Warwickshire countryside. It’s an excellent overview of Ravilious’s work, setting it alongside works by his friends and contemporaries, including Tirzah Garwood (Eric’s wife}, Edward Bawden, Barnett Freedman and many others.
Visiting Compton Verney is always a delight; the 18th century house is set in a ‘Capability’ Brown landscape and contains fine collections of European paintings and sculpture, Chinese works of art and British Folk art.
If you don’t have time to visit the Ravilious exhibition in person, you can still read the accompanying book by Andy Friend; Ravilious and Co. The Pattern of Friendship (Thames & Hudson, 2017, ISBN 978 0500 239551, £24.95). It’s a fascinating and very readable book.