During one memorable scene in the recent documentary Celebrating David Hockney, the Bradford-born artist was sitting in his Normandy studio, surrounded by portraits, and was asked by Melvyn Bragg, the presenter he has known for almost 50 years, what he looks for in a sitter. “Character,” Hockney said, simply.
Ever dynamic, he has experimented with art forms from opera sets to landscapes drawn on an iPad, but his portraits give the most intimate insight into the artist. This week, an exhibition looking at six decades of Hockney’s work opens at the National Portrait Gallery and includes more than 30 brand new works — including, to much excitement, a portrait of Harry Styles.
David Hockney: Drawing from Life originally opened in 2020 but had to
