David Hockney’s The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire-in 2011 twenty eleven) 2 January, 2011.
Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
Auction of the Week: Early David Hockney iPad Drawing Sets New Record
A vibrant rendering of spring from 2011 fetched more than double its estimate in a special Phillips sale dedicated to Hockney editions
David Hockney’s The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire-in 2011 twenty eleven) 2 January, 2011. Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
David Hockney’s enduring appeal was made exceptionally clear in the recent Editions sale at Phillips in London. The special sale on September 20 was set up as an inaugural event following his record-breaking auction year in 2022. With a sell-through rate of 100 percent, the sale included a few standouts, notably The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven)—31 May, No. 2, which fetched £214,200 against a £100,000 low estimate.
The work, which set a world record for that particular edition, is from his seminal series, The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire, which documents the slow seasonal transition of nature from winter to spring. Consisting of 61 iPad drawings, it was conceived in anticipation of the artist’s landmark 2012 retrospective, “A Bigger Picture,” at the Royal Academy in London.
“I realized to show the full arrival of spring, you have to start in the winter and go into the summer a bit, and then you see all the differences and all the rich things that happen to each tree”
David Hockney
The famed English artist had returned to his late-mother’s Bridlington home in 2006 to experience the blossoming of spring, focusing on the nearby Woldgate Woods. Starting on January 1, 2011 and culminating in early June, The Arrival of Spring series reveals how the icy branches gradually bloom into the luscious greens. It was also one of Hockney’s earliest forays into iPad drawing, a method that allowed him to work quickly and build up layers with a highly saturated palette.
“From his early Bradford School of Art lithographs to his groundbreaking iPad creations, the breadth of Hockney’s work was on full display,” says Robert Kennan, Head of Editions, Europe.”We’re thrilled that this annual Hockney sale has found a permanent place in our Editions auction calendar. This sale not only celebrates Hockney’s expansive body of work, but it also underscores our deep commitment to contemporary edition collecting.”
Cover: David Hockney’s The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire-in 2011 twenty eleven) 2 January, 2011.
Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
More from Galerie
