One of Manfredi’s many charms was his joy of discovery, be it places, people or art. Our families travelled a lot together – we visited Châteaux in the Loire, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum at Château du Clos Lucé, museums in Florence, St Petersburg and even  the wilds of the African Savannah! Whether looking at suits of armour, works of renaissance art, or Audubon prints of animals Manfredi always had some knowledge to impart.

Manfredi had a profound love and knowledge of art, which informed his life and his work as an art adviser and interior designer. I had been first introduced to Rupert, through Christopher Gibbs, the antiques dealer and interior designer. In many ways, Manfredi’s collection shares a similar style, together with other designers/collectors all of whom I know well, such as David Mlinaric, Tino Zervudachi and Christopher Hodsoll. In certain design circles, such taste can be called eclectic or even Bohemian, but it’s really just being confident about what you like. Having this particular sense of style gives these designers the ability to combine great artists and their artworks, with more diverse objets d’art in a way in which they are comfortable and make rooms seem welcoming. Manfredi had this talent well honed.

Although Manfredi and I shared a love of mixing works from different eras and continents, he never advised me about collecting in a professional capacity – although I often sought his opinion. However, it was he who introduced me to the American artist Walton Ford, who went on to design the cover for our 50th anniversary album ‘GRRR!’, putting the Rolling Stones mark onto his ‘King Kong’ like gorilla.

You only had to visit one of Manfredi’s houses to appreciate his sense of style and decor. I have been in most of them over the years, and during the pandemic, I spent some months at Castello di Castagneto, Manfredi’s family seat in Tuscany. Manfredi was around there at the same time, so we saw each other occasionally, Covid rules allowing, and I became more familiar with how profound his knowledge and connection with the history of art was. Manfredi’s family have lived there for centuries – a distant relative, Count Ugolino, meets a pretty grisly end in Dante’s Inferno!

Looking over the catalogue of Manfredi’s collection we can all see the breadth of his taste and talent. It could be simultaneously inspired; explorative; outlandish and often eccentric – 50 Belgian chocolate pots will attest to this – but oftentimes, he would unveil something unexpected of great value.  His eye was spot on, although occasionally its taste would waiver as he often said, “You need bad taste because it counterbalances things”, however he definitely drew the line at wearing Crocs. He went on to say: “It all works together so long as what you’re surrounded by is loved and has meaning…”. What a perfect way to sum up this collection and, indeed, the man himself.

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Auction Details

Wednesday 24 April, 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING:

• Viewing in London (highlights):
  • Tuesday 19 March: 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 20 March: 10am-4pm
  • Thursday 21 March: 10am-4pm
  • Friday 22 March: 10am-4pm
  • Monday 25 March: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 26 March: 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 27 March: 10am-4pm
• Viewing in Newbury (full sale):
  • Saturday 20 April: 10am-3pm
  • Sunday 21 April: 10am-3pm
  • Monday 22 April: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 23 April: 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 24 April: 10am-4pm
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