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Lot 5*,AR
David Hockney R.A.(British, born 1937)Portrait of Richard Hamilton
25 June 2025, 13:30 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £7,680 inc. premium
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David Hockney R.A. (British, born 1937)
Portrait of Richard Hamilton (Scottish Arts Council 126; M.C.A. Tokyo 118)
Etching, 1971, on Hodgkinson handmade paper, signed, dated and numbered 7/30 in pencil (there were also 11 artist's proofs), printed by Maurice Payne, published by Petersburg Press, the full sheet, framed
Plate 340 x 267mm (13 3/8 x 10 1/2in)
Sheet 545 x 425mm (21 1/2 x 16 3/4in)
Etching, 1971, on Hodgkinson handmade paper, signed, dated and numbered 7/30 in pencil (there were also 11 artist's proofs), printed by Maurice Payne, published by Petersburg Press, the full sheet, framed
Plate 340 x 267mm (13 3/8 x 10 1/2in)
Sheet 545 x 425mm (21 1/2 x 16 3/4in)
Footnotes
Hamilton first met Hockney at the Royal College of Art in the 1950s, when he was teaching in the Interior Design Department. Tasked with selecting a painting student for a £5 prize, he chose Hockney, a decision that marked the beginning of an ongoing connection between the two artists. In 1964, Hamilton invited Hockney to give a talk at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, as part of a lecture series he was organizing. Hockney's presentation, which focused on homosexual imagery in American art, was met with a positive response.
Their paths continued to intersect in the artworld and beyond, Hamilton was later introduced to Sir Paul McCartney through mutual friends and went on to design the cover for The Beatles' White Album (1968). In the decades that followed, Hamilton embraced printmaking and became an early adopter of digital tools, incorporating computer technology into his practice.
Hockney spent several summers at Hamilton's holiday home in Cadaqués, the setting for this 1971 etching. The piece depicts Hamilton in a relaxed pose, casually holding a cigar and sitting at an angle in a chair. With an empty background, the viewer's attention is drawn entirely to Hamilton. Hockney employs closely observed details to convey the character of his subject, whether in the tousled movement of Hamilton's hair or the subtle suggestion that he is barefoot, Hockney captures his sitter's personality with thoughtful sensitivity. Portrait of Richard Hamilton was printed by Hockney's close friend and printer collaborator, Maurice Payne.