Back in 2018, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibited a massive show dedicated to David Hockney‘s many portrait paintings of his friends, family, and acquaintances. Created in just a three-day span in his Los Angeles studio, the acclaimed British artist sought to say thank you, and perhaps a final goodbye, to each of the people he has developed a relationship with over the past 50 years.
At age 86, Hockney is still filled with childlike curiosity and recently sat down with one of pop music’s biggest superstars — Harry Styles. Dressed in a shaggy yellow cardigan with vibrant red stripes, the British singer and actor is seen donning a pearl necklace and gently smiles as the two phenoms chat throughout the session. "David Hockney has been reinventing the way we look at the world for decades, " said Styles in an interview. “It was a complete privilege to be painted by him."
The painting will debut as part of a larger exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London showcasing 33 new portraits Hockney created between 2021 and 2022. Entitled David Hockney: Drawing from Life, the show will launch on November 2 and also include a range of drawings that the British artist created digitally through his iPad, as well as in traditional mediums such as watercolor and ink.