David Hockney artwork from college days at auction

Bolton Junction Eccleshill, Bradford, a mixed media piece created by the artist at just 19, will be sold at Leyburn-based Tennants Auctioneers’ Modern and Contemporary Art Sale on June 13.

The artwork, drawn from scenes around Bradford, is expected to fetch between £7,000 and £10,000.

Hockney’s piece was originally bought by Malcolm Riley, a tutor at Bradford Regional College of Art and the father of the current vendor, at Hockney’s end-of-year show.

In the mid-1950s, a young Hockney, keen on his studies at Bradford Regional College of Art, frequently depicted everyday life in his hometown.

Having persuaded his parents to allow him to leave grammar school at 16, Hockney started pursuing his passion for art.

Malcolm Riley, who taught Hockney perspective around 1955/1956, noted the lessons learned were evident in the current work.

The piece shows the street scene’s prominent lines, masterfully mapped out to provide a sense of receding space and volume with a few simple marks.

The auction will also showcase other notable northern artists’ works, including two drawings by L.S. Lowry (Image: Tennants Auctioneers)

The auction will also showcase other notable northern artists’ works, including two drawings by L.S. Lowry.

The first, Figures on a Street, drawn in 1971, was a gift from the artist to Mr Donald Earnshaw during a visit to Newland House, Seaham.

It has an estimated value of £8,000 to £12,000.

The second drawing, Street Scene with Children and Dogs, was reportedly acquired from Lowry by its previous owner during a trip to the North East and is estimated at £7,000 to £10,000.

Other northern artists’ works featured in the sale include pieces by mining artist Norman Cornish, with a small private collection purchased directly from the artist’s family.

This includes Miner’s Going to Work (£2,000-£3,000) and a rare portrayal of The Artist’s Father, Sitting in a Chair (£800-£1,200).

Further notable lots in the sale include Heart Spin by Damien Hirst (Image: Tennants Auctioneers)

Works by fellow miner Tom McGuinness, including Lamplight, Early Evening (£600-£800), will also be on offer.

Huddersfield-born contemporary artist Maxwell Doig will have three works for sale.

Known for his atmospheric paintings and mixed-media works, Doig’s pieces explore memory, landscape, and emotion.

The sale includes Abandoned House, Above Marsden (£3,000-£5,000).

The auction will also feature ceramics by Pablo Picasso, including Wood-Owl (£3,000-£5,000) and Tête Polychrome (£2,500-£4,000).

Further notable lots in the sale include Heart Spin by Damien Hirst (£10,000-£15,000) and a limited edition copy of the book Beatles Sumo Edition by David Bailey (£7,000-£10,000).

In a varied sale, works by Spanish artist Carlos Nadal, wildlife artist David Shepherd, a work by Adrian Paul Allinson previously exhibited at the Central Institute of Art and Design at the National Gallery, London, and two bronze rhinos by Steve Winterburn will also be auctioned.