Sunday, October 4, 2020

David Hockney's portrait of David Webster

No Swan So Fine: + Template:David Hockney


[[David Hockney]] completed a portrait of the arts administrator [[David Webster (opera manager)|David Webster]] in 1970 to mark Webster's retirement as chairman of the [[Royal Opera House]]. The portrait hung for several decades in the opera house. It was put up by the opera house for auction at [[Christie's]] in 2020 due to a decline in their income as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom]]. The Royal Opera House lost 60% of its income since [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom#Spring 2020: First wave|its closure in March 2020 as a result of the national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic]]. It is expected to sell for c.£18 million.<ref name=BBCOct4>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (given 1, expected 2)</ref>

The painting depicts a side profile of Webster in Hockey's studio sitting by a glass-topped coffee table on which stands a vase of pink tulips. Webster was seriously ill during the execution of the piece and Hockney worked up to 18 hours a day to complete the painting. He had originally planned to depict Webster in his house in [[Harley Street]] in the [[Marylebone]] district of London.<ref name=BBCOct4/>

The portrait was the first commissioned portrait that Hockney had undertaken, having previously only painted portraits of acquaintances. It was his last commission until his portrait of [[George Christie (opera manager)|George Christie]] and his wife, Mary, in 2002.<ref name="HockneyHowgate2006"></ref>

==References==




[[Category:1971 paintings]]
[[Category:Paintings by David Hockney]]
[[Category:Portraits of men]]
[[Category:Royal Opera House]]


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