DAVID HOCKNEY | Artist’s Father Reading at Table

Deweer Art Gallery, Zwevegem
Private Collection, Belgium (acquired from the above in 1980)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Zwevegem, Deweer Art Gallery, David Hockney: Drawings and Prints, 1980, n.p., illustrated

Nikos Stangos, Ed., David Hockney by David Hockney, Paris 1977, p. 258, no. 358, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the paper tone is slightly warmer in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. The sheet is laid down verso on the backing board. Very close inspection reveals a tiny dog ear to the extreme upper right corner tip and a tiny and unobtrusive nick to the extreme bottom right corner tip.
"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."

“Drawing is the discipline that has informed David Hockney’s approach to every medium – including painting. His early art education… was relatively traditional. Organised around the study of perspective and anatomy, it was based on the premise that drawing was the intellectual discipline upon which all art was founded. As it was taught, drawing entailed the acquisition of a visual language that was supposed to enable the artist to record his or her perceptions of the world as accurately as possible and, concurrently, the acquisition of a form of craftsmanship appropriate to such a requirement” (Paul Melia, ‘The Drawings of David Hockney’, in: Ulrich Luckhardt and Paul Melia, Eds., David Hockney: A Drawing Retrospective, London 1995, p. 15).