Upcoming Christie's Auction in New York to Include David Hockney Masterpiece Featuring Christopher Isherwood
In the vibrant world of art, a significant piece is set to make a splash in the upcoming Christie's 20th-century evening sale in New York. The work in question is none other than David Hockney's "Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy," a double portrait that has left an indelible mark on the art scene.
Created in 1968 in Santa Monica, California, the painting depicts the couple who were unapologetic in their honesty and openness about their gay relationship, a daring feat in conservative mid-century America. The subjects of the portrait, Isherwood, an English writer, and Bachardy, his American artist partner, are the central figures of a piece that represents a pivotal moment in Hockney's career.
The composition of the painting, featuring a triangulation among the two subjects and the viewer, became a seminal perspective for Hockney. This geometric arrangement, reminiscent of early Renaissance artists like Piero della Francesca, reflects the artistic context of 1960s American Minimalism.
"Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy" was exhibited in "David Hockney 25," a survey at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, which opened in April and closed last month. The work is also associated with other Hockney double portraits, including those of Fred and Marcia Weisman, Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott, and Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell with their cat Percy.
Norman Rosenthal, in a statement, described these portraits as exuding the spirit of David Hockney's California and depicting persons in culturally glamorous society. Katharine Arnold, vice chairman of 20th/21st-century art at Christie's London, stated that the painting represents a pivotal moment in Hockney's career, combining the exploration of subjects' personal relationship with his groundbreaking use of space, sightlines, and surface.
The work's historical context and the reputation of its creator make "Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy" a significant work in the art world. The painting was also part of a Hockney show that opened at Tate Britain and traveled to the Centre Pompidou and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Notably, "Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy" is the first of seven double portraits by Hockney. While no estimate for the sale price has been announced by Christie's, the painting's significance is evident. Another Hockney double portrait, "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures),"" holds the record for the highest-priced work by a living artist, having sold for $90.3 million in 2018. Another double portrait, "Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott," sold for $49.5 million in 2019.
The portrait's "homosensuality," as described by writer Michael Cirigliano II in a piece for the Met's website, adds to its historical and cultural importance. The couple is also the subject of a book, "The Animals: Love Letters Between Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy," published in 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
As the auction date approaches, the art world eagerly awaits the hammer's fall on this iconic piece of modern art. "Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy" is not just a painting; it's a testament to love, courage, and the power of art to challenge societal norms.
