Howard Hodgkin in front of his painting, ‘Orange Sunset’, at London’s Gagosian Gallery in 2014.
Howard Hodgkin is widely regarded as one of the most important British artists of his generation. Best known for his abstract paintings and prints, Hodgkin’s use of rich, vibrant colours and textures singled him out as a leading figure of contemporary art, and it is a reputation which has remained secure since his death in 2017.
The market for Hodgkin’s work has also remained strong, especially in his native Britain. His prints account for over 90% of his work sold at auction, and they regularly fetch between £1,000 and £5,000, though many reach far higher prices.
Howard Hodgkin once said “my entire life is in my paintings.” As such, it is interesting to know some facts about the artist’s life when considering his work; below are six things you might not have known about Howard Hodgkin.
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He Always Wanted To Be An Artist
Howard Hodgkin was born in August 1932, and when he was just five years old, he decided he was going to become a painter. This ambition was nurtured by the art he saw in the United States after he, his mother, and his sister were evacuated to Long Island during World War II. It was here that the young Hodgkin encountered work by artists such as Matisse and Picasso, and that his desire to become an artist was reinforced.
Upon returning to the United Kingdom, Hodgkin was sent to several different public schools, including Eton. Later in life, he said: “I ran away from them all… because I wanted to be an artist and no one wanted me to be.” The insistent conviction of this statement is reflected in the intense sweeps of bold, vibrant colour found in much of Hodgkin’s work, including Frost, which was sold by Sotheby’s in October 2017 for £26,000.
His Most Expensive Print Sold For £85,000
In 1990, Hodgkin was commissioned to paint something for The Ivy restaurant in the West End, which had just been purchased by Chris Corbin and Jeremy King. The pair also commissioned several other well-known contemporary artists to create pieces for the newly-refurbished restaurant, including Bridget Riley and Patrick Caulfield.
Hodgkin’s contribution was Ivy, a large, oval intaglio print with carborundum and extensive hand-colouring. The fact that it is a unique print obviously increases its value; it was auctioned by Sotheby’s in March 2015 with an estimate of £6,000 to £8,000, but it actually sold for a hammer price of £85,000.
Ivy sold by Sotheby’s in 2015
He Spent A Lot Of Time In India
Hodgkin first went to India in 1964, and he subsequently made near-annual trips to the country for the rest of his life, staying there for several months at a time in order to paint. Unlike artists such as Antony Gormley, who went to India in search of spiritual enlightenment, Hodgkin’s purpose was much more tangible: he had a keen interest in Indian art, and he was an avid collector throughout his life.
The trip, however, was a seminal moment in the artist’s career. He once said that visiting India was “a revelation. It changed my way of thinking and, probably, the way I paint.” His Indian-inspired prints and paintings resonate with bold, beautiful colours, and they’ve been the subject of several exhibitions at major museums and galleries.
He Designed An Olympic Poster
Along with other contemporary artists such as Bridget Riley and Tracey Emin, Howard Hodgkin was invited to design an official poster for the London 2012 Olympics. The artist was only five years away from death at the time, yet he was still working hard (the beautiful Stormy Weather print dates from this year). Hodgkin responded to the commission with Swimming, a sensuous swirling mass of sumptuous blues which was widely-praised at the time.
He Painted “Emotional Situations”
Hodgkin often said: “I am a representational painter, but not a painter of appearances. I paint representational pictures of emotional situations”. These could include love affairs, conversations with friends, and chance encounters. As such, although Hodgkin’s work was overwhelmingly abstract, a very specific memory lies at the heart of each print and painting.
The viewer, however, will never know the details of this memory, though the titles of Hodgkin’s pieces (for instance, Frost, Stormy Weather, and Venice, Morning) do give clues as to the subject matter. In Hodgkin’s case, though, the inspiration behind the work isn’t ultimately that important; what matters is how it makes people feel to look at the vivacious brushstrokes and vivid colours that dominate his art.
He Didn’t Like Talking About His Art
Hodgkin was a notoriously difficult interviewee because he tended to respond cryptically to questions, and he was given to saying: “Look! Just look!” when asked about the meaning of his paintings. The artist believed his work “should speak for itself, and mostly, it does.”
His antipathy to being asked about the meaning of his paintings stemmed from the fact he wanted people to draw their own conclusions. His art is so emotionally charged that it is impossible not to feel something upon viewing it, even if one cannot name the feeling. But understanding the feeling isn’t necessarily needed. In Hodgkin’s own words: “I never try and understand anything I do because it’s a waste of time.”
