Advisory Picks: Sotheby's British Art Evening Sale

Lucian Freud, Chris Ofili, and Peter Lanyon are among the artists whose works are up for auction at Sotheby’s British Art Evening Sale in London on 29 June 2021.

Freud’s portrait of fellow artist and friend, David Hockney, is particularly special. Painted over the summer of 2002, Hockney would walk over to Freud’s flat near Holland Park at 8:30 am each morning for his sitting, passing the time by drinking tea, smoking, and chatting about the techniques of the old masters and beyond. ⁠⁠

This portrait represents a meeting of minds, and an expression of the shared admiration of two eminent British artists observing one another.

Lucian Freud, David Hockney (2002). Estimate 8,000,000 - 12,000,000 GBP⁠⁠

Chris Ofili, Still Smoking (1997). Estimate 600,000 - 800,000 GBP⁠⁠

Peter Lanyon, Rising Air (1961). Estimate 400,000 - 600,000 GBP⁠⁠

Main image: Lucian Freud, David Hockney (2002). Oil on canvas. 40.6 x 31.1 cm. Courtesy Sotheby's.