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Lot 37AR

Eliot Hodgkin
(British, 1905-1987)
Wild flowers and blossom 37.8 x 47.9 cm. (14 7/8 x 18 7/8 in.)

29 May 2013, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £16,875 inc. premium

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Eliot Hodgkin (British, 1905-1987)

Wild flowers and blossom
signed and dated 'Eliot Hodgkin May 55.' (lower right)
tempera on board
37.8 x 47.9 cm. (14 7/8 x 18 7/8 in.)

Footnotes

Hodgkin's approach to his works in egg tempera was precise, painstaking and somewhat unorthodox. Firstly his composition was carefully selected and a closely observed line drawing on paper produced. Then onto a cut and sanded board primed with gesso the desired background colour is applied. Once dry, the outline from the drawing would be traced onto the board and the body area then carefully scraped away with penknife. Onto this a white tempera ground is laid down to provide a vibrant foundation on which the colours will sit. The details of the drawing are then traced before each component is constructed, shade-by-shade, tone-by-tone using a fine sable brush, each pigment lovingly hand mixed as needed. Any errors would be left to dry, scraped back and corrected so that the final work is flawless. Each painting would take around seven days in summer, and longer in winter due to the poor light. By his own admission this method was immensely laborious; however Hodgkin found it the truest way to express the character of his subject.

Additional information

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