Event Details

Hockney was born and raised in England but chose to make Los Angeles his home for much of his career. His iconic paintings of swimming pools and L.A. interiors have become synonymous with the style and culture of Southern California.

 

The collection will include important works relating to his theatre design projects such as “Tristan Kissing Isolde,” a canvas painting created by Hockney in conjunction with the designs he executed for the Los Angeles Opera’s production of Richard Wagner’s tragic love story “Tristan und Isolde” (Est. $15,000 to $25,000).

 

On the heels of the recent $900,000 auction of the painting “Ravel’s Garden 3,” Julien’s Auctions will also proudly be offering an original work from the same series, “Ravel’s Garden with Night Glow (v.II),” an acrylic painting depicting a nightmare scene from the Metropolitan Opera’s production of "L'Enfant et les Sortilèges (The Child and The Spells)" in which a child’s toys come to life and seek revenge for their owner’s cruel behavior (Est. $15,000 to $25,000). A nearly identical image was chosen for the poster used to advertise the production.

 

Also on offer will be a rare original photograph depicting acclaimed author Christopher Isherwood and his partner, artist Don Bachardy. The picture, which was taken in the couple’s Pacific Palisades living room, was believed to have been used by Hockney as an aide-mémoire leading to one of the most famous portraits of the 20th century, the succinctly titled “Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy” (Est. $2,000 to $4,000).

 

Like Bonnard, Picasso, Warhol, and other artists before him, David Hockney was particularly fond of the dachshund breed. A number of tributes representing Hockney’s devotion to his small companions will also be available, including an ink embellished xerograph depicting a pair of dachshunds, presumably Stanley and Boodgie, lounging near a table with a teapot, a cup, and a copy of the Los Angeles Times. This morning scene takes place at Hockney’s Malibu home and prominently shows the Pacific Ocean churning in the background (Est. $3,000 to $5,000).

 

David Hockney has never been one to shy away from new technology. To this day he continues to use cutting edge devices in order to duplicate, manipulate, and communicate his ideas to the world. Also available during the evening event at Julien’s Auctions will be examples reflecting Hockney’s playful use of machinery in art, including hand-embellished faxes and xerographed prints.