Hockney and Piero: A Longer Look

Piero della Francesca, Baptism of Christ, probably about 1437–1445, The National Gallery, London.

Throughout his career, Hockney has found inspiration in the work of other artists. He never tires of looking at paintings. For him, there’s magic in it every time, whether that’s enjoying a picture in a gallery or a much-loved poster at home.

This very personal display brings together two Hockney paintings, one showing his mother and father and the other depicting his friend, curator Henry Geldzahler. They are displayed with the thread that ties them together, Piero della Francesca’s The Baptism of Christ. The exhibition, part of the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebrations.

My Parents and Looking at Pictures on a Screen both include images of paintings from the National Gallery, a place Hockney knows and has loved throughout his long career. The artists whose portraits and landscapes line the walls are to him, his contemporaries. Their paintings inspire him today as much as any other influence on his work.