David Hockney
30 Sunflowers, 1996
'30 Sunflowers' is part of Hockney's Flowers series, which he created at a time of personal loss, including the death of his friend and champion Henry Geldzahler. A visit to a Vermeer exhibition had inspired the artist to paint floral still lifes. Paintings of cut flowers can signify mortality, as beauty succumbs to decay. The vibrant blooms featured here in such profusion may also refer to Van Gogh's famous sunflowers, popularized through mass reproduction.
David Hockney
30 Sunflowers, 1996
'30 Sunflowers' is part of Hockney's Flowers series, which he created at a time of personal loss, including the death of his friend and champion Henry Geldzahler. A visit to a Vermeer exhibition had inspired the artist to paint floral still lifes. Paintings of cut flowers can signify mortality, as beauty succumbs to decay. The vibrant blooms featured here in such profusion may also refer to Van Gogh's famous sunflowers, popularized through mass reproduction.