Radev

An exhibition of world-class painting that tells an extraordinary story of twentieth century art and modern love through the collection of post-war Bulgarian migrant Mattei Radev. Featuring work by iconic artists including Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani, the collection and its history tell stories of friendship, love and creativity amongst some of Britain’s greatest artists and collectors.

Mattei Radev fled Bulgaria in 1950, in fear of persecution. After a perilous journey, Mattei settled in London where he made a group of supportive friends who helped him find a career as a picture framer, working with some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. What is now known as The Radev Collection was started by writer Eddy Sackville-West, 5th Baron Sackville, and on his death in 1965 it was left to his friend and former lover, the art dealer Eardley Knollys. Knollys grew the collection and, in turn, left it to Mattei in 1991, who added to the collection himself. Told through the stories of the three collectors and the homes the collection grew around, this exhibition explores a remarkable time queer history and the history of British art.

The Radev Collection will be shown alongside pieces from the Wilson Collection, as well as new work by artist and columnist Luke Edward Hall. It will bring to life the expressive interiors of the Bloomsbury Group and explore how these homes became sites for experiments in living where people lived amongst chosen family, surrounded by beauty and creativity.