Howard Hodgkin Portrait Of The Artist Analysis

An artist’s treasure
With the auction Howard Hodgkin: Portrait of the Artist, Sotheby’s not only unveils the private collection of the late painter and collector Howard Hodgkin, but it also reveals how these masterpieces influenced his creations

If the past half century has seen an artist whose work embodies the sheer pleasure of being alive, then that artist would be the late Howard Hodgkin. Through his works, which were misinterpreted as abstract, he created a unique pictorial language for places and people he interacted with. Each one reflecting his signature hand of vibrant colour. And while the artist’s eye for the exceptional reverberates through his paintings, it also lent itself to identifying extraordinary works of art in the most
Instead, he fed his unquenchable thirst for different types of art by starting a private collection that would surround him with objects that inspired him. His approach to acquiring these objects was democratic, instinctive and even eclectic. He never adhered to the typical collecting hierarchy where one medium took precedence over another. Meaning, an average oil painting was never considered more valuable than an excellent work of water colours. Ornamentation was the common thread that ran through the objects that lured him. His unique collecting alchemy also extended to the manner in which he displayed his acquisitions. From a precious 17th-century Indian sandstone relief in his kitchen (estimated between £XXX,XXX and £XXX,XXX) to Kashan, Iznik and Mughal tiles (estimated between £XXX,XXX and £XXX,XXX). From calligraphy manuscripts that were selected more for their linear form than their meaning to an exquisite Mughal inlaid box—they all created unexpected yet harmonious arrangements. Hodgkin even used a fireplace to symbolically represent the erstwhile rivalry between England and France over colonial supremacy. He placed the busts of rival monarchs George II of England (estimated between £80,000 and £120,000) and Louis XIV of France (estimated between £20,000 and
A classic example is the relationship he shared with Patrick Caulfield, who he called a painter-colleague. He procured Sweet Bowl (estimated between £300,000 and £500,000), a painting that reveals Caulfield’s heightened sense of colour and space—an interest he shared with Hodgkin. And yet, the painting has a minimalist style that stands in opposition to the energetic hand of its owner. Hodgkin’s collection immortalizes another friendship with De-Luxe Tailors (estimated between £250,000 and £350,000)—a painting by Indian artist Bhupen Khakkar. In many ways, Hodgkin mentored and liberated Khakkar. Hosting him in England during the Seventies, advocating his works with galleries, finding him teaching jobs—he championed his work. Yamini Mehta, Sotheby’s Senior Director and International Head of South Asian Art adds, “Hodgkin’s helped Khakkar expand his horizons, which inevitably made his art freer, funnier and unflinchingly honest. In fact, it is this encouragement that may have sparked Khakkar’s recognition as one of India’s greatest 20th-century artists.” Further friendships represented by works that Hodgkin owned include Robyn Denny, Peter Blake and Stephen Buckley.

Hodgkin’s partner Antony Peattie recalls that the artist’s passion for collecting veered between obsessional and recreational. So much so, that he kept auction catalogues by his bedside, where “must-haves” were