“Cubism, in a sense, opens up portraiture. I think Picasso was the great portraitist because of Cubism. It can make you see another way and begin to deal with it.”
—David HockneyAn Image of Gregory is a striking example of David Hockney’s enduring fascination with Picasso and the Cubist aversion to single-point perspective. Comprised of two separate sheets within individual frames of varying sizes, the lithograph depicts the artist’s close friend and business partner, Gregory Evans. Sat cross-legged wearing a pin-stripe suit, Evans’ face simultaneously looks straight out at the viewer whilst also being in profile. He has two hands down by his side, yet he also raises a hand to his face, precariously holding a cigarette. The interior setting in which Evans is sat is comprised of askew lines of perspective and bold segments of flat shape that deconstruct the space. Echoing Picasso’s Cubist portraits, Hockney distorts, exaggerates, and reorganizes the sitter’s features and surroundings. In this sense, he defies Renaissance-era ideas about single-point perspective and instead evokes a manner of seeing much more reminiscent of how one experiences life.
Pablo Picasso, Tête de femme au chapeau, 1962, Private Collection. Artwork: © 2024 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York An Image of Gregory is from the Moving Focus series, which is Hockney’s largest and most ambitious series of prints. Completed between 1984 and 1987, Moving Focus is a printmaking tour de force consisting of twenty-nine lithographs showcasing Hockney’s fascination with perspective, color, and the depiction of space. Considered to be Hockney’s dialogue with Picasso, the Moving Focus series recalls Picasso’s Cubist style and use of multiple viewpoints to create highly dynamic compositions. Hockney’s interest in the work of Picasso began in 1960 as a student at the Royal College of Art in London. That same year, the Tate held a seminal exhibition of Picasso; Hockney was captivated by Picasso’s use of various perspectives, and he therefore returned to the show eight times. As we gaze upon An Image of Gregory, absorbing the manner by which his face and body are constructed from different points of view, we see how powerfully Picasso’s study of perspective influenced the British artist.
“Cubism itself inferred that memory is a part of vision, it must be a part of vision, which I think discounts the idea that there is a kind of objective vision, because each person has a different memory of something.”
—David HockneyHockney first met Gregory Evans in London, through the Los Angeles-based art dealer Nicholas Wilder. In 1974, the two began an intimate relationship in Paris, where they both resided at the time. Though their romantic relationship ended in the late 1970s, Hockney and Evans remained close friends. Over the past five decades, Evans has been a key figure in Hockney’s personal and artistic career, transitioning from model and personal assistant to curator and trusted advisor. Appearing in over forty portraits, including lithographs, paintings and photo collages, Evan's likenesses showcase the trajectory of Hockney’s ever-evolving practice and constant artistic experimentation.
Provenance
Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York
Exhibited
Nassau County Museum of Art, Art After Art, September 25, 1994 - January 1, 1995 (this impression)
Literature
Tyler Graphics 285
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo 276
Nassau County Museum of Art, Art After Art, 1994, no. 51, pp. 62, 120 (this impression illustrated)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.
Property from a Distinguished American Collection
112
An Image of Gregory, from Moving Focus (T. 285, M.C.A.T. 276)
1984-85
Lithograph in colors with collage, on two sheets of TGL handmade paper, contained in the original artist's frames.
overall framed 89 x 41 x 2 1/2 in. (226.1 x 104.1 x 6.4 cm)
Signed, dated and numbered 25/75 in pencil on the upper print (there were also 18 artist's proofs in Roman numerals), published by Tyler Graphics, Ltd., Bedford Village, New York (with their blindstamp), both framed.
Estimate
$50,000 - 70,000
Sold for $139,700
editions@phillips.com
212-940-1220
Editions & Works on Paper
New York Auction 16 - 17 April
