David Hockney - David Hockney London Thursday, September 21, 2023 | Phillips

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  • “Hockney? He has immortalised me”
    —Celia Birtwell

    Celia in a Wicker Chair (1974) is one of the numerous artworks that David Hockney has created depicting his close friend and muse, Celia Birtwell. Hockney has been inspired by Birtwell for over half a century, capturing the myriads of her likeness and personality over time. In this lithograph, Birtwell’s facial features are gently accentuated, partially obscured by the cascading curls of her hair. Her skin is paper-white, but Hockney adds vibrancy to his sitter by skilfully rendering her piercing blue eyes. Boldly outlined, they stare directly out at the viewer in a compelling and engaging manner. Nonetheless, it is Celia’s boldly patterned and brightly coloured dress that takes centre stage in this lithograph. Rather than aiming to exactly replicate his model’s likeness, Hockney instead seeks to portray other characteristics which more aptly capture the essence of his sitter. In this instance, he focuses on her love of pattern, for which Celia Birtwell is most well-known.

     “I always try to dress up for him”
    —Celia Birtwell

    Like Hockney, Birtwell was born in the North of England, and she moved to London to pursue her creative passions. She married Raymond ‘Ossie’ Clark, a fashion designer, in 1969 with David Hockney in attendance as Ossie’s best man. Birtwell had studied textile design, and she collaborated with Clark on many projects. Through their patterned silks and chiffons, they helped define the aesthetic of the Swinging Sixties. In Celia in a Wicker Chair, Hockney uses her vibrant dress as a device through which to convey her personality, creativity, and occupation.

     

     

    • Literature

      Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo 158

    • 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.

       
      View More Works

46

Celia in a Wicker Chair (M.C.A.T. 158)

1974
Etching and aquatint in colours, on BFK Rives paper, with full margins.
I. 69.5 x 53.8 cm (27 3/8 x 21 1/8 in.)
S. 91 x 70.3 cm (35 7/8 x 27 5/8 in.)

Signed with initials and annotated 'unfinished' in pencil (presumably a working proof, the edition was 60 and 16 artist's proofs), published by Petersburg Press, London and New York, unframed.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
£8,000 - 12,000 ‡♠

Sold for £20,320

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David Hockney

London Auction 21 September 2023