“I was just sitting at the table in our house and I caught sight of some flowers in a vase on the table. Being February, the sun was low, casting a deep shadow on the table. I decided to draw it, the background was dark, so I made a rich brown for it. After printing it, I put it on the far wall facing the table. There it stayed for a few days. It looked very beautiful to me… A few days later, I started another from the same position with the same ceramic vase… I then realised if I put the flowers in a glass vase the sun would catch the water, and painting glass would be a more interesting thing to do. So then I was off.”
—David HockneySince the 1960s, flowers have been a central theme of David Hockney’s work. From etchings to lithographs to iPad drawings, the humble vase of flowers has been under constant review by the British artist. A keen student of this art historical tradition, Hockney was initially drawn to Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflower painting’s from the late 1880s. Throughout the years, Hockney, alike Van Gogh, has frequently returned to the subject of flowers. His exploration of the floral still life as a formal composition further provided him a means of exploring medium, specifically diverse printmaking techniques. Showcasing his mastery of the various printing methods, Hockney’s depictions of flowers are delicate and moving works exemplar of the development of his unique style, excitement regarding new printing techniques, and his endless experimentations with colour, form, and line.
Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1889, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Image: Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Mr. and Mrs. Carroll S. Tyson, Jr., Collection, 1963 Artist Biography
David Hockney
David Hockney (b. 1937) is one of the most well-known and celebrated artists of the
20th and 21st centuries. He works across many mediums, including painting, collage,
and more recently digitally, by creating print series on iPads. His works show semi-
abstract representations of domestic life, human relationships, floral, fauna, and the
changing of seasons.
Hockney has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Royal
Academy of Arts in London, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, among many
other institutions. On the secondary market, his work has sold for more than $90
million.
21
7th March 2021, More Flowers on a Table
2021
iPad drawing in colours, printed on wove paper, with full margins.
I. 76.4 x 53.5 cm (30 1/8 x 21 1/8 in.)
S. 89 x 63.4 cm (35 x 24 7/8 in.)
Signed, dated and numbered 21/50 in pencil, published by the artist (with his blindstamp), framed.
Estimate
£30,000 - 50,000 ‡♠
Sold for £40,640
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David Hockney
London Auction 21 September 2023
