Lot 4
  • 4

Howard Hodgkin

Estimate
150,000 - 200,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Howard Hodgkin
  • Ekow
  • signed and dated 2008 on the reverse
  • oil on board
  • 81.5 by 88cm.
  • 32 by 34 5/8 in.
  • Executed in 2008.

Condition

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate although the green is closer to a bright lime green in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is very minor rubbing to the extreme tips of the top two corners and along the extreme lower left edge towards the corner. There is a very minor rub mark in the inlay of the frame towards the lower right corner. No restoration is apparent under ultra violet light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Howard Hodgkin, who is the ICA's Vice President, first showed at the
organisation as part of the exhibition Pop Painting, 1960, and then
again in the two-person show Two Young Figurative Painters, 1962,
alongside Allen Jones.

For the ICA auction Hodgkin has generously created a new painting,
entitled Ekow, 2008. The work is an abstract portrait of the ICA's
Artistic Director Ekow Eshun, who visited Hodgkin's studio to sit for
the work. The painting features a painted frame, and displays
Hodgkin's signature visual language of distinct marks and intense
colours, which the artist uses to represent personal encounters.

For a long time in Britain the ICA celebrated contemporary culture almost single-handedly. That wasn't easy. It has always meant much to me. It has twice had a major impact on my life. In 1962
the graphic artist and critic Roger Coleman invited me to show at the ICA in Two Young Figurative Painters. I was thirty but still unknown – it was my first London show. The other artist, Allen Jones, was
then very fashionable. Two years later, Richard Hamilton invited me to contribute to a portfolio of works on paper to benefit
the ICA. The commission prompted me to make one of my best prints, the silkscreen Enter Laughing. (Howard Hodgkin, 2008)