David Hockney: A Celebration of a Life's Work at Henry Adams Fine Art

Just weeks after the passing of David Hockney, one of the greatest British artists of the modern era, Henry Adams Fine Art is proud to offer a rare collection of his works at Baffins Hall, Chichester, on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st July.

A collection of David Hockney offset lithographs and other rarer mediums will be sold individually, with prices starting at a few hundred pounds and rising in excess of £10,000 – a piece at every price point, for every kind of collector. 

“We are very excited to offer this wonderful collection of works of art by the late great giant of the art world, David Hockney,” said Nick Hall, Director of Henry Adams Auctioneers and BBC TV antiques expert. “Hockney was one of the UK’s most important and popular artists, over his seven-decade career he became globally known for his iconic Los Angeles swimming pools, vibrant landscapes of his native Yorkshire, portraits of family and friends, as well as other visionary and inventive works of art. This collection should suit all tastes and budgets, will certainly be a joyful addition to any home or collection and should prove long term to be a sound investment.” 

David Hockney, born in Bradford in 1937 and who died in June of this year, was an English painter, stage designer and photographer widely considered one of the most influential British artists of both the 20th and 21st centuries. Having spent his life between the UK, France and the United States, the influence of his surroundings comes through in many of his most celebrated works. Throughout his career Hockney was fascinated by the act of image-making itself, experimenting with an extraordinary range of media – from fax machines and paper pulp to iPad drawing programmes. As he said in 1987, "I've always been interested in printing as a medium, and also as a medium through which my work can be known – can reach a public. So I've taken an interest in any technology to do with image-making."

That spirit of experimentation is very much present in this sale. Among the highlights is Dancing Flowers, 1986 – a hand-signed, limited-edition print in six parts, created on an office copy machine on acid-free Xerox paper. Published by Hockney himself with his blindstamp, signed and numbered in pencil 19/60, and measuring 56cm by 64cm, it is a fascinating example of the artist turning everyday technology into fine art. The work is framed by Exhibit One with Museum Glass.

Also available is a poster produced for the Los Angeles Music Center Opera's 1987 production of Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner – a work that reflects Hockney's celebrated but lesser-known career as a stage designer, a field in which he brought the same bold visual imagination that defined his paintings.

Further lots include a characteristically sun-drenched swimming pool scene, a rolling Yorkshire landscape and a portrait of his beloved dachshunds – together offering a broad sweep of the subjects that defined Hockney's career.

The auction will take place at Henry Adams Fine Art, Baffins Hall, Chichester, PO19 1UA, on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st July, with bidding available in person, online or by telephone by arrangement. Those wishing to find out more or register to bid are warmly invited to contact Henry Adams by calling 01243 532223, emailing auctions@henryadams.co.uk, or via the online form.

Whether you fell in love with his swimming pools, his dog portraits or simply his extraordinary sense of colour and joy, this is a collection worth exploring.