Howard Hodgkin’s friends: new show shines a light on late artist’s pals including David Hockney

A new show at Vardaxoglou Gallery in London puts a novel spin on Howard Hodgkin, the venerable late British artist who seemed to know everyone who’s anyone in the UK art world. Howard Hodgkin: The Artists He Painted (until 11 March) brings together works by artists who feature in paintings by Hodgkin who died in 2017.

The part-selling show includes two early works by Allen Jones who made the canvases, including the piece Legs, at the notorious Chelsea Hotel in New York in 1965 (Hodgkin incidentally made a portrait of the famed Pop artist, Mr and Mrs Allen Jones, the same year). “This is a view of the British art world of that period looking directly at who influenced Hodgkin, and who Hodgkin influenced,” says Alex Vardaxoglou, the gallery founder.

One of Hodgkin’s most important artist portraits, After Visiting David Hockney (second version), 1991-92, is a centrepiece of the exhibition. Hodgkin painted Hockney three times from 1968 to 1992 though Brit artist Robyn Denny, who died in 2014, takes the crown for the artist depicted most regularly by the esteemed British painter (four times in total). Look out also for a rare 1971 piece by David Hockney depicting the art dealer John Kasmin.