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Lot Essay
In the 1960s and 1970s Hockney produced many drawings in pen and ink whilst travelling, and it seems probable that the present work is one of such drawings. Hockney drew largely whilst travelling or on holiday, as when he was at home he would focus on working in his studio. Many of the drawings from this period reflect themes of leisure and comfort; such as fashionable interiors, Riviera balconies, hotel rooms and pool sides; whilst others reflect the humour and unfamiliarity of his surroundings; depicting empty lobbies and over-elaborate bedsteads. In the present work, Hockney successfully captures the simplicity of the joyous moment of apéritif time in Italy, with the careful placement of the chair, glass, Martini umbrella and the flower pot.
The chair is a motif that has featured heavily in David Hockney’s oeuvre, and often they are the sole subject of the artist's work. Hockney’s most famous use of the chair is undoubtedly Vincent’s Chair and Pipe, 1988 painted in homage to Van Gogh’s well-known Chair, 1888. When discussing this painting in an interview with Martin Bailey, Hockney remarked 'I’ve always loved chairs: they have arms and legs, like people…' (M. Bailey, David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, 22 May 2015, p.18), and indeed, the subject matter of the chair often held a personal meaning for the artist. In fact, the empty chairs that feature in Hockney’s works have been said to reflect the depression that Hockney experienced following his split from Peter Schlesinger in 1971.
The chair featured in many of the sketches that Hockney executed on his travels, and they were often used to explore the theme of emptiness. In the present work, the empty chair could be said to conjure a sense of the loneliness of travel; what appears at first to be an image of a happy moment of relaxation, could indeed have been a moment of isolation for the artist.
The chair is a motif that has featured heavily in David Hockney’s oeuvre, and often they are the sole subject of the artist's work. Hockney’s most famous use of the chair is undoubtedly Vincent’s Chair and Pipe, 1988 painted in homage to Van Gogh’s well-known Chair, 1888. When discussing this painting in an interview with Martin Bailey, Hockney remarked 'I’ve always loved chairs: they have arms and legs, like people…' (M. Bailey, David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, 22 May 2015, p.18), and indeed, the subject matter of the chair often held a personal meaning for the artist. In fact, the empty chairs that feature in Hockney’s works have been said to reflect the depression that Hockney experienced following his split from Peter Schlesinger in 1971.
The chair featured in many of the sketches that Hockney executed on his travels, and they were often used to explore the theme of emptiness. In the present work, the empty chair could be said to conjure a sense of the loneliness of travel; what appears at first to be an image of a happy moment of relaxation, could indeed have been a moment of isolation for the artist.