Never-before-seen artworks and letters by British painter David Hockney are set to fetch over £20,000 at auction after being unearthed in a cardboard box.
The newly discovered artworks, which includes one of Hockney’s rare early digital pieces, were gifted to his close friend Véra Russell.
Hockney – deemed one of Britain’s most celebrated and influential artists – would often write to art critic Russell, complaining of ‘dread’ and ‘longing for the old times’.
Other letters which have come to light include lengthy correspondence from the Bradford-born painter and other well-known artists including Pablo Picasso and Henry Moore.
The incredible collection was made in a London home and nestled among dozens of letters was an intricate never-before-seen pen and ink portrait of Russell dated 1978.
Maggi Hambling (b. 1945) A 1972 portrait of the art historian John Pope-Hennessy (1913-1994). It has an estimate of £10,000-£15,000. (Pix via SWNS)
Experts reckon it could fetch £20,000 at auction while an impressive untitled early digital piece, interior with fireplace, created on an Apple Macintosh which could fetch £1,000-£2,000.
Jim Spencer, from Rare Book Auctions, who made the discovery, said: “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“The vendor had contacted me about a book, and we just got talking.
“When she mentioned the letters, I got straight onto a train from Lichfield to visit her and was completely blown away.
“It has been the greatest pleasure working through everything – completely exhausting, lots of late nights and weekends, sorting mountains of papers into a logical order for collectors, transcribing correspondence, researching everything – but it’s been the loveliest collection I’ve ever handled.”
In one revealing letter dated 1976, Hockney writes to Véra at 5am in the morning from Colorado, USA, lamenting the ‘endlessly boring’ American election results.
David Hockey (b. 1937) untitled interior with fireplace, digital art, Apple Macintosh, 28 x 43cm, c. 1990, given to Véra Russell (1911-1992). It has an estimate of £1,000-£2,000 at the Rare Book Auctions, in conjunction with Hansons Auctioneers, sale in Derby on April 1. (Pix via SWNS)
He writes: “My dear Vera, I got your note yesterday just as I was leaving. It was such a pleasant lift.
“Nowadays I almost dread the mail, it’s never interesting and personal, so your note was like old times.
“It’s 5am here, (transatlantic travel throws me off balance for a few days) and the American election results are endlessly boring.”
Jim added: “In 1956 Véra married the art critic John Russell.
“She wrote seriously about art, but when her articles appeared they had the byline ‘Mrs John Russell’.
“She was also a gallery owner, championing upcoming artists and organised exhibitions.
“But today no one has heard of her, she has been written out of history. But she was the most amazing woman.
“Her address book is a Who’s Who of 20th-century cultural greats.
“Under ‘S’ come the composers Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg, under ‘P’ are the addresses of Picasso and Harold Pinter.
“There are also details for Samuel Beckett, Roald Dahl, CS Forester and Aldous Huxley.”
Letters from the sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986) are expected to make £1,000-£1,500. (Pix via SWNS)
A double exposed photograph, dated 1979, shows of Véra Russell, Hockney and Gregory Evans, his muse from the 1970s, in Switzerland. (Pix via SWNS)
Also found with Hockney’s works were letters from the notoriously hellraising artist, Francis Bacon, dated 1966.
The artist writes that he is “working a lot and living a sort of monastic life”.
In another letter, dated a year later, he describes fellow voyagers on a cruise as “Indescribably boring.”
Other highlights include a 1956 postcard to Russell from Pablo Picasso valued around £2,000 and a 1972 portrait of the art historian John Pope-Hennessy by Maggi Hambling with an estimate of £10,000-£15,000.
Another portrait of Russell was discovered – this time by artist Matthew Smith – and has a guide price of £20,000-£30,000.
The lot goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire on April 1.
