Approaching Waddesdon Manor through its ample estate, one is confronted by dramatic statuary. Spurting water from almost every orifice, these 19th-century carvings welcome visitors to the house beyond. The figures on the other side of the manor – naked sea-gods frolicking with goddesses, and horses leaping through fountains – are even more irrepressible. No wonder Waddesdon attracted 380,000 visitors last year, making it the second most popular property in the National Trust.

The statues provide a sprightly introduction to the collection of paintings displayed inside the multi-turretted house, built between 1874 and 1889 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. His collection of Gainsborough and Reynolds portraits, along with outstanding Dutch canvases by Cuyp and de Hooch, has now been enhanced by new acquisitions – most notably by Panini’s pair of shimmering paintings intended to celebrate a spectacular ball and concert staged in 1751 by the French ambassador to Rome.