Celia In An Armchair
Signed Print

This stunning work by David Hockney sees the artist combining the sketchy lines of his etchings with the looser brustrokes of the lithographs he was making around the time this work was published in 1980. Celia Birtwell, Hockney’s close friend and constant muse, is shown curled up in an armchair, her head turned to the side in profile, her hand resting underneath her chin. She appears to be listening intently to someone ‘offscreen’, her elegant features seemingly unaware of the artist’s gaze. She wears a sheer top embroidered with flowers or an abstract pattern, and a full pleated skirt which covers her legs. Here Hockney has mixed his style of brush marks to pay particular attention to his model’s face, hair and clothes while her hands and feet remain indistinct. He has sketched in her shadow on the high backed armchair and the impression is one of soft light, of a cosiness and intimacy that can only be shared between close friends. Speaking of his love for the designer as both friend and subject Hockney said, “Celia has a beautiful face, a very rare face with lots of things in it which appeal to me. It shows aspects of her, like her intuitive knowledge and her kindness, which I think is the greatest virtue. To me she’s such a special person.”