David Hockney
Original David Hockney Poster 'Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy' was created by The Tate for an exhbition in 1974 it is printed on heavy stock paper.
Dimensions 72.10 x 55.90cm
The original poster is in Excellent condition. Conservation Framed and Mounted.
"Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy" is part of a series of large double portraits that David Hockney began in 1968. In earlier works, he painted imaginary couples, but in this series, he portrayed real couples who were his friends. The subjects are depicted in a realistic yet simplified style within their home environment. Hockney used photographs and life observations, making drawings to compose the scenes.
"Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy" stands out from the others in the series due to its unique composition. Both Mr. and Mrs. Clark look out at the artist and the viewer from either side of a large open window, creating a sense of cyclical movement in the viewer's gaze. Percy, the name of one of their cats, is seen sitting statue-like on Mr. Clark's knee, looking out of the window.
The painting features the fashion designer Ossie Clark and the fabric designer Celia Birtwell, who were close friends of Hockney. They got married in 1969, and Hockney served as their best man. The artwork depicts the couple in their flat in Notting Hill Gate, London.
The painting's technical challenges included capturing the figures against the light (contre jour) to achieve a sense of naturalism. Hockney set up light conditions in his studio to approximate those in the Clarks' bedroom while painting the canvas. The nearly life-size scale of the figures presented a difficulty, and both Ossie and Celia posed for Hockney multiple times.
The positioning of the figures, the lilies in the foreground (a symbol of Annunciation and feminine purity), and the cat on Ossie's lap (associated with a libertine nature) carry symbolic resonances. In some ways, the painting can be seen as a reversal of traditional wedding portraiture conventions, with the man seated while the woman stands.
As the painting's title suggests, the relationship between the couple and the presence of a third party (the artist or viewer) separated by the open window has been considered prophetic, as Ossie and Celia's marriage eventually ended.