A Hampshire exhibition is set to celebrate the artistic legacy behind some of Britain’s mosaic masterpieces.

The Making of the Mottisfont Angel: the Artistic Legacy of Boris Anrep will run from May 3 to July 13, 2025, at Mottisfont, near Romsey.

The exhibition will explore 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.

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 Mottisfont’s former owner Maud Russell, can be found 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.

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

Visitors can also see some of Maud’s scrapbooks and photograph albums showing Anrep at Mottisfont, as well as a striking portrait of the artist seated in front of one of his own works.

After his death in 1969, Maud buried Boris's ashes in the garden at Mottisfont.

National Trust curator George Roberts said: "Boris Anrep is inextricably linked to Mottisfont.

"He was a frequent visitor here from the 1930s, developing a lifelong relationship with its owner Maud Russell, and it became his final resting place."

"From the mid-1940s, Maud worked hard to promote and patronise Boris's work and looked to secure his artistic legacy through donations of sketches and work to institutions.

"His work as a mosaicist in Britain is perhaps not as well-known as it should be, and I hope this exhibition will encourage visitors to seek out more of his work in public buildings."

The exhibition is free, but normal admission charges apply.

For more information, visit the National Trust website.

Key works include Anrep's 1913 mosaic, Spirit of Reasoning, depicting Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, and his 1946 mosaic, The Angel of Mottisfont, believed to bear an uncanny resemblance to Maud Russell.