The Making of the Mottisfont Angel: the Artistic Legacy of Boris Anrep

The Making of the Mottisfont Angel explores the work of Russian-born mosaicist, painter and poet Boris Anrep (1883 – 1969), from his earliest works in Britain to his relationships with prominent artists including members of the Bloomsbury Group. One of the most important relationships he forged was with Mottisfont’s former owner Maud Russell, who became Anrep’s patron and later his romantic partner.

Anrep was best known in Britain for his mosaics, which can be seen in the National Gallery, the Bank of England and Westminster Cathedral. At Mottisfont, two of his mosaics are built into the fabric of the house. The Angel of Mottisfont, a medieval-inspired work believed to depict Maud, can be found fringed by lush foliage on the exterior south wall of the house. A second smaller mosaic, portraying the Holy Trinity, is embedded into a wall in the Red Room, where Anrep slept when he visited Mottisfont. It was commissioned by Maud in 1945 and was made in Anrep's Hampstead studio with Maud visiting to see it being set in cement.

This new exhibition, split across three rooms in the house, features mosaics, paintings, photographs and furniture by Anrep and other artists of the time, including some works never previously exhibited.

Last entry into the house is 4pm.