David Hockney, Views of Hotel Well III, 1984–85, is one of the most visually engaging prints from David Hockney’s landmark Moving Focus series, created during what is widely regarded as the artist’s most important and innovative decade. Executed between 1984 and 1985, this monumental color lithograph revisits the courtyard of the Hotel Romano Angeles in Acatlán, Mexico, transforming its central well and surrounding architecture into an extraordinary exploration of perception, perspective, and memory.

By the early 1980s, Hockney had become increasingly dissatisfied with the fixed viewpoint of traditional Renaissance perspective. Inspired by his groundbreaking photographic “joiners,” he began developing a revolutionary approach to depicting space—one that reflected how the human eye naturally experiences an environment by constantly shifting focus and moving through it over time. The Moving Focus series represents the culmination of these investigations and stands among the most intellectually significant bodies of work in Hockney’s career.

Rather than presenting a static courtyard, Views of Hotel Well III invites the viewer to move through the vibrant hotel environment. The central brick well, yellow columns, red walkways, tables, chairs, tropical plants, and radiating roof beams are woven together through multiple viewpoints, creating a composition that feels simultaneously ordered and dynamic. Sweeping lines pull the viewer toward the center of the courtyard, while vivid passages of red, green, yellow, blue, and brown balance precision with spontaneity. The result is an image that is unmistakably Hockney: playful, sophisticated, and endlessly engaging.

Works from Hockney’s 1980s period are among the most sought-after and collectible of his entire career. During this remarkable decade, he fundamentally redefined contemporary landscape and architectural representation while simultaneously pushing the technical boundaries of printmaking. Collectors prize these editions not only for their limited production and exceptional craftsmanship, but because they represent one of the artist’s most groundbreaking creative achievements. Major prints from the Moving Focus series have become increasingly desirable, particularly examples retaining their original artist-designed frames.

Produced in collaboration with the legendary master printers at Tyler Graphics, Views of Hotel Well III showcases one of the most ambitious lithographic projects of the 1980s. Printed in colors on luxurious handmade TGL paper and frequently presented in Hockney’s distinctive artist-designed frame, the work possesses a richness of color, texture, and scale that rivals original paintings. Published by Tyler Graphics Ltd. in 1985, the sheet measures approximately 48½ by 38½ inches. It stands as one of the finest examples of Hockney’s mastery of the printmaking medium.

Museum Collections:

The significance of Views of Hotel Well III is reflected by its inclusion in the permanent collections of several of the world’s leading museums, including:

The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Tate, London

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Its presence in these prestigious institutions underscores the importance of both the Moving Focus series and Hockney’s revolutionary contributions to late twentieth-century art.

This example, numbered from the edition of only 80 and hand signed and dated by David Hockney, represents an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the artist’s most desirable and museum-quality print editions. Combining rarity, historical significance, exceptional craftsmanship, monumental scale, and one of the strongest periods of Hockney’s career, Views of Hotel Well III is a cornerstone work for serious collectors of modern and contemporary art. An additional 18 artist’s proofs were produced outside the standard edition.

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: 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 Views of Hotel Well III, from Moving Focus, 1984–85 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and 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 274
Tyler Graphics catalogue number 282.

1. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.