David Hockney, O.M., C.H., R.A. (b. 1937)

Highly regarded for his role as art historian, critic, curator and early protagonist of Pop Art, Henry Geldzahler is best known for his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and as New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs. Geldzahler counted Willem de Kooning, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jasper Johns amongst his close friends, and Andy Warhol famously produced a 90 minute film of him smoking a cigar. One of his most enduring friendships was with Hockney, who portrayed him on a number of occasions, the most celebrated of which being the 1969 double portrait of Geldzahler and his then partner Christopher Scott. The closeness of their relationship is clear in the present work with Geldzahler sitting casually dressed, quietly reading a book on his bed. Capturing his friend’s physiognomy through a series of crisp discerning lines, the present work displays the mastery of Hockney’s draughtsmanship. Over the years they were to work on a number of projects together, including a series of essays and criticism Geldzahler published in 1994 titled ‘Making it New’, for which Hockney wrote the introduction.