| Artist: | David Hockney (British, b. 1937) (1937 - ) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Portrait of Mother III, from Moving Focus, 1985 |
| Series: | Moving Focus, 1984 |
| Medium: | Lithograph in colors on TGL handmade paper. |
| Image Size: | 20 1/4 x 17 1/8 in (50.8 x 43.2 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 20 1/4 x 17 1/8 in (50.8 x 43.2 cm) |
| Edition: | Numbered from the edition of 25 in pencil in the lower left. |
| Signature: | This work is hand signed by David Hockney (Bradford 1937-) in pencil in the lower right. |
| Item # | W-101981 |
David Hockney, Portrait of Mother III, from Moving Focus, 1985, is one of the most intimate and visually direct portraits from David Hockney’s landmark Moving Focus series, produced during a highly experimental period in the artist’s career. The work depicts Hockney’s mother, Laura Hockney, a deeply personal subject whom he portrayed repeatedly over several decades. As the final portrait of his mother within the series, the composition transforms a familiar likeness into a sensitive exploration of age, character, perception, and memory.
By the early 1980s, Hockney had become increasingly dissatisfied with the fixed viewpoint of traditional Renaissance perspective. Inspired by his photographic “joiners,” Cubism, and his continued investigation of how the eye observes a subject over time, he developed an approach that allowed shifting moments of attention to exist within a single image. The Moving Focus series represents one of the most important expressions of these ideas, bringing together portraiture, interiors, architecture, and changing perspectives.
Unlike the more spatially complex portraits elsewhere in the series, Portrait of Mother III is stripped back to a plain background, placing the viewer’s complete attention on Laura’s face and expression. Loose pale blue lines describe her white hair and softly outlined jacket, while layered shades of pink, red, and blue give her features an energetic, almost sketch-like quality. Her bright blue eyes create the strongest point of focus, giving the portrait a sense of alertness and individuality. The result is both experimental and affectionate, balancing Hockney’s expressive mark-making with the familiarity of a son closely observing his mother.
Works from Hockney’s 1980s period are particularly valued for the way they combine personal subject matter with major technical and conceptual experimentation. With a standard edition of only 25, Portrait of Mother III is among the more limited prints from the Moving Focus series. Its intimate subject, recognizable visual language, and importance within Hockney’s continuing exploration of portraiture make signed examples especially desirable.
Produced in collaboration with the legendary master printers at Tyler Graphics, Portrait of Mother III demonstrates Hockney’s command of color lithography. Printed in colors on TGL handmade paper, the work combines delicate linear drawing with carefully layered areas of color. Published by Tyler Graphics Ltd., the sheet measures approximately 20¼ by 17⅛ inches. Each standard-edition impression was signed and dated in pencil by David Hockney and individually numbered from the edition of 25.
Museum Collections:
The significance of Portrait of Mother III is reflected by its inclusion in the permanent collections of several internationally recognized museums, including:
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Newfields, Indianapolis Museum of Art
Its presence in these prestigious institutions underscores the importance of both the Moving Focus series and Hockney’s contribution to late twentieth-century portraiture and printmaking.
This example, numbered from the limited edition of only 25 and hand signed and dated by David Hockney, represents an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the artist’s most personal and emotionally engaging print editions. Combining rarity, historical significance, exceptional craftsmanship, and the importance of its subject, Portrait of Mother III is a distinguished work for serious collectors of modern and contemporary art.
David Hockney’s Moving Focus series, created between 1984 and 1986, is one of the most ambitious print projects of his career. Moving beyond traditional fixed perspective, Hockney used shifting viewpoints, fragmented forms, expressive drawing, and vivid color to explore how people experience subjects over time. Featuring portraits, interiors, still lifes, chairs, and views of the Hotel Romano Angeles in Mexico, the series was produced with Kenneth Tyler using innovative combinations of lithography, etching, screenprinting, collage, and handmade papers. Together, the works represent a major achievement in modern printmaking and a powerful exploration of movement, perspective, and memory.
The works in David Hockney’s Moving Focus Series (1984–1986) include: Conversation in the Studio, Tyler Dinning Room, Pembroke Studio Interior, Pembroke Studio with Blue Chairs and Lamp, Two Pembroke Studio Chairs, The Perspective Lesson, Amaryllis in Vase, Red Celia, Celia in Green Hat, Hotel Acatlan: First Day, Hotel Acatlan: Second Day, Hotel Acatlan: Two Weeks Later, Views of Hotel Well I, Views of Hotel Well II, Views of Hotel Well III, Walking Past Two Chairs, An Image of Gregory, An Image of Celia, An Image of Celia, State I, An Image of Celia, State II, An Image of Celia Study, Portrait of Mother I, Portrait of Mother II, Portrait of Mother III, An Image of Ken, White Porcelain, A Picture of Two Chairs, Number One Chair.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
David Hockney Portrait of Mother III, from Moving Focus, 1985 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonné and related texts. Copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work.
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, catalogue number 283.
David Hockney (British, b. 1937)Portrait of Mother III, from Moving Focus, 1985 |
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| Lithograph in colors on TGL handmade paper. | |
| from the edition of 25 in pencil in the lower left. | |
| hand signed by David Hockney (Bradford 1937-) in pencil in the lower right. | |
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