Last March, as the coronavirus surged and we entered our first complete lockdown, David Hockney sent us all a joyous picture of spring, together with a message of hope that had worldwide resonance. He sent these from lockdown in Normandy, where he is still living and working intensively. Now, as England, like France, enters its second period of lockdown, he has sent us two new images—which he produced last week—this time capturing the beauty of the autumn, together with another message of positivity: “Remember they can't cancel the autumn either.”
David Hockney, The Pond in Autumn (1 November 2020) © David Hockney
All through the pandemic, Hockney has been preparing for an exhibition that will take place at London’s Royal Academy next year and will mark and celebrate the unfolding of Spring (27 March-22 August 2021). It will also reflect the seasons, which have appeared even more lovely in this extraordinary year. Some of these works are part of a current exhibition at the Galerie Lelong, Paris (Ma Normandie).
Hockney has produced these pictures on his iPad, which he says requires the ability to draw as well as paint. Remarkably prolific, he will eventually have produced 220 works for 2020.