David Hockney, No. 535, 28th June 2009, from My Window, 2009. David Hockney London.
Goodbye St Pancras, hello Gare du Nord! Has anyone ever said that excitedly? Never the matter – we’re here on a mission: after spending time with Hockney in Yorkshire and California, it’s time we enjoy a beautiful day Inspired by the artist’s upcoming auction at Phillips London.
Morning
Brekkie with Babka – Babka Zana, 65 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris, France
We’ll need energy, and energy requires caloric expenditure. All this preamble to say it’s the best cinnamon roll in Paris. We can’t get too sluggish, though – let’s hop in a cab and head east.
A Leisurely Stroll – Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, 75019 Paris, France
A bit of the 19th century in the 19th arrondissement. Nestled in a former quarry, it’s one of the city’s most topographically interesting parks – cliffs and waterfalls and grottos, oh my! There’s even a miniature Roman-inspired Temple de la Sibylle atop the Belvedere island; a perfect spot to meander for a bit, enjoy a cigarette à la Hockney to clear the mind, and muse upon the towering sequoias that seem to follow the artist from California to Paris. Ah, but we mustn’t dwell too long; we have a print shop to get to.
David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011, 27 April. 2011. David Hockney London.
History and the Present – Idem Paris, 49 Rue du Montparnasse, 75014 Paris, France
Once the legendary workshop of the Mourlot brothers, where Picasso produced all of his lithographs, and where the late David Lynch filmed a 2013 short documentary on the “magic of the stones.” Here we walk among the lithographic presses Fernand Mourlot used for Matisse, Braque, Chagall, and so many more, now with Patrice Forest’s team and the contemporary works of William Kentridge and Raymond Pettibon.
David Hockney, Artist and Model, 1974. David Hockney London.
Afternoon
L'accrochage des oeuvres – Galerie de l'Institut, 12 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris, France
As Hockney notes, “You must plan to be spontaneous,” and we’ll take it to heart for a stroll along the Seine and pop into a totally-unplanned-we-promise visit to one of Paris’ gems for works on paper, currently featuring a selection of nautical works by Bernard Buffet.
David Hockney, No. 281, 23rd July 2010, from My Window, 2010. David Hockney London.
Studies in Arrangement – Phillips Paris, 46 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, France
Taking things straight to the source, we have a stroll about the gallery and encounter a wide range of works from across Hockney’s seven-decade practice. Flowers, friends, pools, self-portraits, and nature, all in vivid colour, all in a wonderful showcase of the artist’s ever-expanding journey with printmaking.
Stock Up – Charbonnel, 13 Quai de Montebello, 75005 Paris, France
One should never let inspiration go to waste, and as it happens there’s an art supply shop nearby. Here we’ll find printing inks, rollers, block cutters, and everything else we need to make the most of our jaunt. Now we’ll just have to find some flowers.
David Hockney, Postcard of Richard Wagner with a Glass of Water, 1973. David Hockney London.
Picnic and Paint – Jardin des Plantes, 75005 Paris, France
And here they are! A quite literal menagerie awaits us, and so do over 300 flower varieties, and we’d say that’s just enough for us to explore. The perennial garden isn’t to be missed, and that new sketchbook is certainly about to come in handy. No day is wasted when we’re outside.
Feeling Peckish – Le Procope, 13 Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris, France
Voltaire, Hugo, Balzac, Napoleon, Rousseau, and … us. All good company in the oldest café in Paris, we reckon, but it’s Hockney we’re after, and that means an outdoor seat, another constitutional cigarette, and some béarnaise on the chips.
Evening
David Hockney, Self Portrait, July 1986, 1986. David Hockney London.
Seeing Clearly, Being Funky – The House of Eyeware / Les Plus Belles Lunettes du Monde, 250 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
The sun is setting and it’s time to get suited and booted for the night ahead – in Hockney fashion, we’ve got to make a splash with spectacles. Round frame, naturally, but which colour? In honor of the season, let’s go with a blooming daffodil yellow.
Tie Things Together – Cinabre Paris, 14 Cité Bergère, 75009 Paris, France
The suit makes the man, the cravat makes the conversation. Since we’re wearing a striped shirt, only polka dots will do.
The Big Show – Fondation Louis Vuitton, 8 Av. du Mahatma Gandhi, 75116 Paris, France
And we’ve arrived at the opening to see the man himself – bright and sharp in tweed, of course. The exhibition is an homage to Hockney’s past 25 years, but in typical Hockney manner, his prolific output reaches back to his very beginnings as an artist, because everything about the artist – from his longevity to his remarkable ability to capture the colour in life – is timeless, and moreover, meant to be seen. “You wouldn’t be an artist,” Hockney notes, “unless you wanted to share an experience, a thought.” And this has been a day to remember.
David Hockney, Untitled No. 468, from A Bigger Book, 2010. David Hockney London.
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