John Hoyland, R.A.

Waddington Galleries, London
Private Collection
Sale, Sotheby's London, 12th July 2013, lot 217
Alan Wheatley Art, London, where acquired by the present owner

Original canvas. The canvas is sound. There is a tiny chip to the tip of a single impasto element to the orange pigment in the lower left quadrant. There is a light layer of fine surface dirt to the work, most noticeable in the peaks of impasto to the lower left quadrant. Subject to the above the work is in excellent overall condition, with thick layers of impasto and fresh colours throughout. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of restoration or retouching. The work is floating within a simple wood frame. Please telephone the department on 0044 207 293 6424 if you have any questions.
"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."

The Hoyland Estate are currently preparing the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the Artist’s work and would like to hear from owners of any work by the Artist so that these can be included in this comprehensive catalogue. Please write to The Hoyland Estate, c/o Sotheby’s Modern & Post-War British Art, London, W1A 2AA or email modbrit@sothebys.com

'Paintings are there to be experienced, they are events. They are also to be meditated on and to be enjoyed by the senses; to be felt through the eye.'

(John Hoyland, John Hoyland: Paintings 1967 - 1979 (exh. cat.), Serpentine Gallery, London, 1979)

By 1969, Hoyland’s reputation had reached the extent that he was able to commit himself full time to his own painting and resign from his post at the Chelsea School of Art. Throughout the next decade he would secure international recognition with representation at the Waddington Galleries in London and with André Emmerich in New York. In 1979, ten years after he had represented Britain at the São Paolo Biennale with Anthony Caro (where the two formed a close and longstanding friendship), a full-scale retrospective of Hoyland’s work was held at the Serpentine Gallery.

21.2.70 is therefore one of the first works from one of the most successful periods of Hoyland’s career. These works have a greater sense of action and automatism, with the paint applied in layers of freer, looser splashes, drips and flicks. These dense and weighty surfaces have a greater chromatic range and intensity than his earlier works, perhaps a result of his exposure to the techniques of the New York painters such as Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler and Larry Poons, whom he was in close contact at this time. The paintings and theories of Hans Hofmann also exerted a strong influence on Hoyland in the 1970s, encouraging him to imbue his paintings with greater personal and emotional expression.