LONDON.- A rare signed proof copy of David Hockneys lithograph An Image of Celia in the original frame hand painted by the artist is the star item in sale dedicated to Hockneys work at
Bonhams on 20 April.
Dating from the mid-1980s, the Picasso-like image of Hockneys close friend, the textile designer Celia Birtwell, is estimated at between £60,000- 80,000. It leads a sale which covers the whole spectrum of Hockneys output and techniques from the early Fires of Furious Desire - The Most Beautiful Boy in the World of 1963 (£4,000-6,000) to his Lithograph of Water from the late 1970s (315,000-20,000); three huge and stunning variations of Hotel Acatlan executed in the mid 1980 (estimates range from £15,000- 30,000) and Winter Road near Kilhaman Inkjet printed computer drawing from 2008 (£10,000-15,000).
A particularly appealing work is George, Blanche, Celia, Albert and Percy a photo-collage made up of 68 pictures from 1983 (£15,000 20,000). Percy is the white cat surely one of the most famous cats in the world - which appears in one of Hockneys best loved paintings Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy.
The sale also includes two rarities - an earthenware ceramic cat (£5,000-7,000) from 1955 when Hockney was just 18 and a pencil drawing from the following year, Houses near Eccleshill, Bradford £4,000-6,000.