“David Hockney: Drawing from Life” Exhibition to Feature Striking Portrait of Harry Styles
"David Hockney: Drawing from Life" Exhibition to Feature Striking Portrait of Harry Styles
- David Hockney painted a captivating portrait of Harry Styles, to be unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in London this fall. Styles visited Hockney’s studio in Normandy in May 2022.
- The exhibition titled “David Hockney: Drawing from Life” features over 33 new works completed by Hockney between 2021 and 2022, alongside older pieces, and will run until January 21, 2024.
- The exhibition includes intimate portraits of friends and family, as well as Hockney’s notable self-portraits and previously hidden works like “My Parents and Myself.”
avid Hockney, the renowned artist, has recently completed a captivating portrait of Harry Styles, which is set to be unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in London during the upcoming fall exhibition. This particular painting of the pop star captures his distinct appearance, with his hair elegantly swept back, dressed in a striking red-and-yellow striped cardigan and adorned with a string of pearls around his neck. The artwork began in May 2022 when Styles paid a visit to Hockney's studio in Normandy, France.
In anticipation of the exhibition titled “David Hockney: Drawing from Life,” which opens on November 2, more than 33 new works have been completed by the artist between 2021 and 2022. This exhibition is an updated version of a previous collection of portraits by Hockney, initially showcased at the National Portrait Gallery just before the lockdown in 2020. The earlier show featured a variety of drawings in different mediums, including pencil, ink, watercolor, and even Hockney’s pioneering use of the iPad as an artistic tool.
The National Portrait Gallery has undergone significant refurbishment and rehang since then, making it the perfect time to pay tribute to David Hockney’s artistic brilliance. Unlike the brief 20-day display of the original show, the expanded exhibition will remain open until January 21, 2024, allowing more visitors to experience its wonders. Tickets for the exhibition are now available for purchase.
With the new additions from 2021 and 2022, the exhibition now boasts a total of around 160 works, showcasing both old and new pieces. Apart from the allure of Styles’ portrait, visitors will also be moved by Hockney’s intimate depictions of friends, such as textile designer Celia Birtwell, family members, including the artist’s mother and partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, and a fresh self-portrait of Hockney himself donning a flat cap and tweed suit.
Among the exhibition’s highlights are pencil drawings created during Hockney’s time in Paris in the early 1970s, a selection of self-portraits from the 1980s, and “My Parents and Myself,” a group portrait from 1975 that Hockney initially abandoned, leading to great distress for his parents. However, he later produced another version titled “My Parents” in 1977, which now belongs to the Tate collection. The rejected and lesser-known work remained hidden until its public debut during the original 2020 run of the exhibition.
