Howard Hodgkin: Portrait of the Artist, Sotheby’s Sale, London 24 October 2017

A sale comprised of items from Hodgkin’s personal collection will be held at Sotheby’s this October. Read articles about the sale at the following links:

The Financial Times
The BBC

From the Sotheby’s press release:

“The discreet exterior of Howard Hodgkin’s London home gave you no indication of the richness within; opening the door was like stepping into one of his most vibrant paintings. Objects from India to Italy, which suggest a modern day grand tour, were displayed side by side, heightened by the sensational jewel-like tones of the walls. The juxtaposition of objects was distinctive, unique and reflected the passions, friendships and inspirations that ran throughout Hodgkin’s life and work.

Hodgkin began collecting as a 14 year old boy, and his first love was Indian paintings, encompassing those from the 17th to 20th centuries. His passion for Islamic art is less widely known – single tiles from the 16th and 17th centuries were hung in arresting wall displays with their own floral patterns rendered abstract in their solitude or grouped together as a more expansive decorative scheme. Sculpture, tapestries, carpets, furniture and objects –‘costume jewellery for the home’– abounded. Recurring themes permeate the works of art Hodgkin chose to surround himself with, and provide fascinating connections to his work.

Friendship is also a recurring theme. Hodgkin was friends with artists such as Robyn Denny, Peter Blake, Stephen Buckley, Peter Kinley and Patrick Caulfield – whose works all feature in the sale. The presence of two works by Bhupen Khakhar in the collection is the result of another long friendship, the De-Luxe Tailors was acquired in 1972 and epitomises Khakhar’s early style and is a signature work from this period. Alongside these works are two paintings by Hodgkin painted in the early 1960s.

The dialogue between colour and form is clear in Hodgkin’s own work and can be found in all of the paintings and objects that he chose to live with; his personal collection brings together a myriad of different disciplines including Modern & Post-War British Art, Contemporary Indian Art, Islamic Art, Tapestries, Carpets and Textiles, European Sculpture, Old Master, Modern and Contemporary Prints as well as Furniture and Decorative Art.”

Highlights from the collection will be show in Mumbai between 22-23 September and in Dubai between 8-12 October.

Exhibition times in London:

FRI, 20 OCT 17 | 09:00 AM – 04:30 PM BST
SAT, 21 OCT 17 | 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM BST
SUN, 22 OCT 17 | 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM BST
MON, 23 OCT 17 | 09:00 AM – 04:30 PM BST