The Arrival Of Spring In Woldgate East Yorkshire 26th April 2011
Signed Print

As with many of the other works in The Arrival of Spring, The Arrival Of Spring In Woldgate East Yorkshire 26th April 2011 presents us with a view of a winding track or path bordered by lush greenery that is typical of the English countryside. In the foreground weeds and wildflowers jostle for position while the receding hedges and shrubs encircle the composition. The sky overhead is grey and yet the scene retains the brightness of spring, which is well underway after months of waiting. The series begins with a drawing from the 1st of January and ends with one from the 2nd of June. Over the course of 49 views of the Yorkshire countryside we become attuned to Hockney's way of seeing, his unique eye for colour and perspective and his love for his birthplace. After decades spent in the bright light of California, this series marks his homecoming, his appreciation of the seasons and the kind of countryside which is at odds with Western desert. The Arrival of Spring in 2011 was originally intended to be a single work of art, presented in an exhibition at the Royal Academy in London, including one monumental oil painting and 51 of the iPad drawings as prints. These were later split to form 49 prints at a smaller size in an edition of 25 – of which 26th of April is one – and a group of 12 in a larger size in an edition of 10.