2023-08-03 20:00:00
The British painter has been living in a small village in Calvados since 2019. His portrait of the former member of One Direction will be exhibited in London.
One is a most influential British painter of the 20th century and the other, one of the most influential British singers of the 21st century. David Hockney and Harry Styles met last May in Normandy, in the studio of the first, revealed British Vogue.
This meeting at the top ended in a portrait of the young British singer of 29 years carried out by his compatriot of 86 years.
“A real privilege”
Red and yellow striped cardigan, white tank top, jeans, pearl parcel: Harry Styles posed for two days, seated on a cane chair, for the artist known for his vibrant paintings of the blue of California swimming pools.
“David Hockney has been reinventing the way we look at the world for decades. It was a real privilege to be painted by him,” rejoiced the singer with the British magazine.
While Harry Styles has previously expressed his admiration for the painter, the latter was not as impressed with the one whose recently completed tour brought in nearly $600 million. “At the time, I didn’t know he was so famous. He was a person like any other who came to the studio,” admits David Hockney to British Vogue.
It was Clive Davis, a great music producer, who advised him to invite the former member of One Direction, a proposal which the latter accepted without batting an eyelid. “Now I know Harry is a star: I’ve seen all his clips,” admits the painter.
The portrait visible from November 2 at the National Portrait Gallery in London, as part of l’exposition Drawing From Life. It will be accompanied by other works representing the writer Gregory Evans or Sophie Gaugain, mayor of Dozulé (Calvados), a town near the painter’s place of residence.
A love affair with Normandy
Why make this portrait in the depths of Calvados? David Hockney has developed a true love affair with Normandy over the years, and even settled there in 2019. The Briton had set his sights on the small village near Beuvron-en-Auge, where he loves frequent brasseries and restaurants.
“I just want to work and paint. And be able to eat and smoke at the same time in a restaurant. The French know how to live. Wall Street Journal to justify his exile.
This move did not fail to inspire David Hockney who, in the spirit of Monet, painted a fresco of Norman landscapes, drawing inspiration from the famous Bayeux tapestry. After a visit to the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris, the 90-meter work was to be discovered at Bayeux Tapestry Museum. It unfortunately ended at the end of April, those who want to discover the new works of the painter will have to make the trip to the other side of the Channel, in November.
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