LONDON (UK) – In a bid to raise funds to tide over the pandemic crisis, the Royal Opera House of London is planning to sell a 1970s painting by David Hockney. It is going through its worst crisis in its history.
Hockney’s Portrait of David Webster will go under the hammer at Christie’s on Oct. 22 and it is worth between 11 and 18 million pounds ($14-$23 million).
“As we face the biggest crisis in our history, the sale of David Hockney’s wonderful portrait of Sir David Webster is a vital part of our strategy for recovery,” said Alex Beard, chief executive of the Royal Opera House.
“The proceeds will be used to ensure that the world’s greatest artists can once more return to our stages.”
Like other cultural avenues in the country, the Royal Opera House was also forced to shut in March as the pandemic outbreak gained momentum.
Hockney is one of the titans of 20th and 21st century British art scene and his painting has been described by the auction house as “an extraordinary painting that perfectly captures the artist’s mastery of paint and flair for colour”.
“The staging of this painting feels almost theatrical, which is of course a fitting tribute,” said Katharine Arnold, the auction house’s co-head, Post-War and Contemporary Art Europe.
The subject of the painting Webster was head of the Royal Opera House from 1945 to 1970. According to Arnold, he was a visionary leader who helped to make the institution world class.
