This September, Caribbean-born artist Bradley Theodore returns to Clarendon Fine Art Mayfair with a bold new body of work inspired by one of history’s most divisive figures: the rebellious and extravagant Marie Antoinette.
Guided by his signature fusion of fashion and cultural storytelling, Theodore’s exhibition — running from 19 to 29 September — will feature striking new paintings of the infamous queen, vibrant portrayals of fashion’s greatest mavericks and enduring icons such as Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld.
Coinciding with London Fashion Week, the timing of Theodore’s show aligns with a wider cultural spotlight on Marie Antoinette. This month also marks the opening of the Victoria & Albert Museum’s landmark exhibition — the UK’s first major showcase devoted entirely to the controversial queen.
Both celebrated and condemned for her opulent tastes and cultural influence, Marie Antoinette left an unmistakable imprint on 18th-century fashion. Idolised, criticised, and endlessly dissected, she stands as a figure both revered and reviled — and arguably the first true celebrity and fashion influencer. It’s this tension between fame and infamy that lies at the heart of Theodore’s work, which explores the complexities of celebrity and the cultural obsession with icons.
Hailed by GǪ as “the global artist with fashion as his compass,” Theodore is set to debut his latest series, Fashion Mavericks — a captivating collection of portraits celebrating the visionaries behind the world’s most iconic fashion houses. Audiences can expect powerful tributes to legendary figures such as Guccio Gucci, Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Edoardo Fendi, and Thierry Hermès.
As part of the exhibition’s opening celebrations, Theodore will also perform a live painting of a coveted Hermès Birkin bag — an item now synonymous with elite consumption. The piece nods to the historical symbolism of Antoinette’s lavish lifestyle, made all the more relevant by the recent £7 million sale of Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag at Sotheby’s.