Red Celia, from the series Moving Focus

David Hockney, Red Celia, from the series Moving Focus, 1984, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of James A. and Marsha Perry Mateyka in memory of Mary and Peter Perry, 2011.17, © 1984, David Hockney
Copied David Hockney, Red Celia, from the series Moving Focus, 1984, color lithograph on paper, sheet and image: 29 3⁄4 x 21 1⁄2 in. (75.6 x 54.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of James A. and Marsha Perry Mateyka in memory of Mary and Peter Perry, 2011.17, © 1984, David Hockney

Artwork Details

Title
Red Celia, from the series Moving Focus
Artist
Printer
Tyler Graphics
Publisher
Tyler Graphics
Date
1984
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sheet and image: 29 3⁄4 x 21 1⁄2 in. (75.6 x 54.6 cm)
Copyright
© 1984, David Hockney
Credit Line
Gift of James A. and Marsha Perry Mateyka in memory of Mary and Peter Perry
Mediums Description
color lithograph on paper
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait female — unidentified — Celia
Object Number
2011.17
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2011.17

Artwork Description

David Hockney created the Moving Focus series of twenty-nine prints from 1984 through 1986. In contrast to most print series, in which there is usually a cohesion of subject matter, style, and size, the Moving Focus prints include interiors, chairs, vases with flowers, views from a Mexican hotel, and portraits, all of varying sizes. What unifies the series is the artist’s obsession with the depiction of space: the use of reverse perspective, the experience of being within a space, and the exploration of multipoint perspective. This series has been described as “Hockney’s dialogue with Picasso.” Red Celia is a portrait of Celia Birtwell, a close friend and favorite model. One of the most direct and powerful images of the series, the pose and execution of this print recall Matisse more than Picasso, and maybe a reference to the friendly rivalry between the two artists.

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