Five ‘more affordable’ ways to buy a work related to the world’s most expensive living artist at auction

However, if you would like to bid for an item closely linked to the Bradford-born artist, complete with a close provenance to him, try a sale at Charterhouse. The Sherborne, Dorset, firm is holding an auction titled Pictures, Books, Asian Art & Sporting Items including David Hockney items on June 4-5.

It includes a selection from the estates of the late David and Ann Graves. David was Hockney’s assistant and Ann his muse.

The Hockney connections

Ann Upton met Hockney in 1960 and by 1962 became his model and featured in many drawings and paintings. In the early 1970s David met Ann through a mutual friend and they started living together.

David, who was a sculptor and paper restorer, met Hockney at the opening night of Rakes Progress at Glyndebourne Opera where the artist had designed the set. By the late 1970s he became Hockney’s assistant, later moving to Hollywood with him and in the early 1980s began to appear in his drawings.

David and Ann married in Hawaii 1983 where Hockney was their ‘wedding photographer’, creating a photographic collage of the occasion, along with drawings. In 2013, after many years as assistant to Hockney, David and Ann retired to Sherborne, where David liked to research and write plays. Ann died in 2017 and David two years later.

Five works from their collection feature below.

A cut of Hockney

Little Stanley Sleeping (pictured top) is a Hockney cut out from 1987 Tate Gallery Exhibition, mounted on fibre board, and inscribed to the reverse Dearest Ann, here is a framed picture of little Stanley sleeping, to hang up straightaway, - or it can be thrown away. Much much love David XXXX. It comes with a small drawing and hanging instructions Nail needed here, with original attached string, image size 25.5 x 30.5cm.

Estimated at £500-1000, Little Stanley Sleeping by David Hockney can be viewed via thesaleroom.com

British art greats together

David Dawson, (b. 1960) David Hockney; Lucian Freud, colour print, 2002, estimate £100-200 at Charterhouse on June 4-5.

This marvellous 26 x 39cm colour print from 2002 by David Dawson (b. 1960) shows two titans of British modern art: Hockney and Lucian Freud. Hockney sits in front of a portrait of him by Freud.

You can view the David Dawson colour print of Hockney and Freud, estimated at £100-150, on thesaleroom.com.

Tate poster

David Hockney, a poster for the Tate Gallery, 1980, signed in pencil, estimate £100-150 at Charterhouse on June 4-5.

Hockney signed in pencil this poster for the Tate Gallery, 1980, measuring 76 x 51cm, which is on offer at Charterhouse unframed with an estimate of £100-150.

Visit thesaleroom.com to bid for this Hockney Tate Gallery poster, 1980.

Seaside message

David Hockney, a colour printed image, inscribed 'Dear Ann and David, I'm feeling better and quietly painting by the sea much love David', estimate £200-400 at Charterhouse on June 4-5.

This colour printed image is a very personal lot from the Graves collection. With an overall size of 26.5 x 42cm, it is inscribed Dear Ann and David, I'm feeling better and quietly painting by the sea much love David.

To bid for this printed image inscribed by Hockney, estimated at £200-400, try thesaleroom.com

Smoking champion

Alastair Thain (b. 1961), a portrait of David Hockney smoking, estimate £60-100 at Charterhouse on June 4-5.

Hockney is a proud smoker of renown, as he has proved just recently when discussing what he sees as the benefits of his habit in supposedly preventing Covid-19.

This Alastair Thain (b.1961) photographic portrait shows Hockney smoking. The 50.5 x 40.5cm image is offered with three other photographic portraits and a quantity of architectural drawings on tracing paper (folio), estimated together at £60-100.

The Alastair Thain photographic portrait showing Hockney smoking can be viewed on thesaleroom.com