Lobster still life

By the late sixties, Hockney had developed a technique of intense concentration on his subject, whereby he completed many drawings in one sitting and without revisions, letting the pen and ink flow across the page effortlessly and elegantly. It is these drawing series of the late 1960s and 1970s, both in still life and in portraiture which confirmed the artist's remarkable draughtsmanship and ability to synthesise his observations. His use of line is both economical and expressive and captures the essence of the objects on the table perfectly. Lobster was not permanently on any of the menus in the Langan Restaurants but it exemplifies the decadence of the late 60's and early 70's and happily prefigures the feast which Langan threw for Hockney on the occasion of the first night of 'The Rake's Progress' at Gyndebourne in 1975, which according to Hockney included '120 bottles of champagne ... enormous lobsters ... marvellous smoked salmon - he knew where to get the good stuff'. The painting commemorating the legendary feast is lot 9 in this catalogue.

For a discussion of Langan's relationship with Hockney, please see lot 212