Lithograph on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/david-hockney-1293" aria-label="More by David Hockney" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">David Hockney</a>
Celia
Presented by Klaus Anschel in memory of his wife Gerty 1997
actions: postures and motions
adults
Birtwell, Celia
designer
individuals: female
industrial and crafts
named individuals
people
portraits
sitting
woman
work and occupations
<p>This lithograph of Celia Birtwell, characterised by an elegance of line and subtlety of wash, is typical of the fine and tender portraits with which Hockney has celebrated his close friendship with the designer over the years. Celia first met Hockney in Los Angeles in 1964. She is most famously represented in Hockney's large double portrait <em>Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy</em>, 1970-1 (Tate Gallery T01269). With her husband Ossie Clark, she was at the top of the fashion industry in London in the 'Swinging Sixties'. Clark designed clothes using Birtwell's textile designs, and sold them from the shop Quorum in Chelsea's King's Road. Hockney's portraits of Celia acknowledge her sensuality without being overtly sexual. The artist felt that her portraits, particularly of this period, were very much a reflection of her personality rather than just of his feelings towards her: 'she's a very feminine woman, not a masculine woman, and a very sweet-natured, gentle person' (quoted in Marco Livingstone, 'Hockney's People: Notes to the Plates', <em>David Hockney: Faces 1966-1984</em>, exhibition catalogue, Laband Art Gallery, Los Angeles 1987, [n.p.]). Celia was a close friend of Hockney's companion Peter Schlesinger, and following the break-up of Hockney and Schlesinger in 1971, the artist's portraits of Celia take on an increased intimacy. Many of the 1973 drawings, including this one, were made in Paris, where Hockney then lived.<strong>Further reading:</strong>Marco Livingstone, <em>David Hockney</em>, revised edition, London 1987, pp.154-7, reproduced p.155<em>David Hockney: A Retrospective</em>, exhibition catalogue, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles 1988Marco Livingstone, <em>David Hockney: Etchings and Lithographs</em>, exhibition catalogue, Waddington Graphics, London 1988, reproduced pl.47 in colourTerry RiggsNovember 1997</p>
paper print lithograph
21 March 2019 – 28 May 2023
2023-05-28
21 March 2019 – 4 August 2019
2019-08-04
2019-03-21
Seoul Museum of Art (Seoul, South Korea)
http://seoulmoa.org/html/eng/menu01/contents05.jsp
1 September 2019 – 1 January 2020
2020-01-01
2019-09-01
M Woods Museum (Beijing, China)
1 February 2020 – 13 September 2020
2020-09-13
2020-02-01
Bucerius Kunst Forum (Hamburg, Germany)
http://www.buceriuskunstforum.de
18 October 2021 – 23 January 2022
2022-01-23
2021-10-18
Centre for Fine Arts - BOZAR (Brussels, Belgium)
10 February 2022 – 19 June 2022
2022-06-19
2022-02-10
Kunstforum Wien (Vienna, Austria)
http://www.kunstforum-wien.at
8 July 2022 – 30 October 2022
2022-10-30
2022-07-08
Kunstmuseum (Luzern, Switzerland)
http://www.kunstmuseumluzern.ch
28 January 2023 – 28 May 2023
2023-05-28
2023-01-28
Musée Granet (Aix-en-Provence, France)
Palazzo Reale (Milan, Italy)
2019-03-21
David Hockney
Tate partnerships & programmes
Celia
image: 1085 × 725 mm
Presented by Klaus Anschel in memory of his wife Gerty 1997
<p>This <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/lithography" title="Glossary definition for 'Lithography'"><span>lithograph</span></a> of Celia Birtwell, characterised by an elegance of line and subtlety of
wash, is typical of the fine and tender <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portraits</span></a> with which Hockney has celebrated his close friendship with the designer over the years. Celia first met Hockney in Los Angeles in 1964. She is most famously represented in Hockney's large double
portrait <em>Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy</em>, 1970-1 (Tate Gallery <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="/art/artworks/T01269" onclick="popTateObjects(event, -1, 'T01269');" title="View details of this artwork"><span>T01269</span></a>). With her husband Ossie Clark, she was at the top of the fashion industry in London in the 'Swinging Sixties'. Clark designed clothes using
Birtwell's textile designs, and sold them from the shop Quorum in Chelsea's King's Road. </p><p>Hockney's portraits of Celia acknowledge her sensuality without being overtly sexual. The artist felt that her portraits, particularly of this period, were
very much a reflection of her personality rather than just of his feelings towards her: 'she's a very feminine woman, not a masculine woman, and a very sweet-natured, gentle person' (quoted in Marco Livingstone, 'Hockney's People: Notes to the
Plates', <em>David Hockney: Faces 1966-1984</em>, exhibition catalogue, Laband Art Gallery, Los Angeles 1987, [n.p.]). Celia was a close friend of Hockney's companion Peter Schlesinger, and following the break-up of Hockney and Schlesinger in 1971,
the artist's portraits of Celia take on an increased intimacy. Many of the 1973 <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a>, including this one, were made in Paris, where Hockney then lived.</p><p><strong>Further reading:</strong><br/>Marco Livingstone, <em>David Hockney</em>, revised
edition, London 1987, pp.154-7, reproduced p.155<br/><em>David Hockney: A Retrospective</em>, exhibition catalogue, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles 1988<br/>Marco Livingstone, <em>David Hockney: Etchings and Lithographs</em>, exhibition
catalogue, Waddington Graphics, London 1988, reproduced pl.47 in colour</p><p>Terry Riggs<br/>November 1997<!-- end text --></p>
Summary
2005-09-15T00:00:00
summary
SHORT_TEXT
actions: postures and motions adults Birtwell, Celia designer individuals: female industrial and crafts named individuals people portraits sitting woman work and occupations