David Hockney – Hangchow 28-16 (1981)

Hangchow 28-16 (1981)

• Artist: David Hockney (British, born 1937)
• Medium: Chromogenic print
• Dimensions: 20.2 × 25.4 cm
  
• Signature: Signed and dated by the artist
  
• Litterature:  Photographs of China, Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo, 1989, p. 41

Hangchow 28-16 (1981) belongs to one of the most intimate and least expected bodies of work in David Hockney's vast output — his photographic documentation of China, produced during a visit that resulted in the landmark publication Photographs of China, issued by Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo in 1989. The image presents a densely populated koi pond in Hangzhou, the ancient Chinese city renowned for its classical gardens and West Lake: hundreds of golden fish move beneath the surface, their forms dissolving into amber abstraction, while a cluster of green water plants anchors the composition at the right. The framing is instinctive, almost painterly — the aerial viewpoint flattening the scene into a rich, textured field of warm colour that recalls both Chinese landscape tradition and Hockney's own preoccupations with surface, depth, and the act of looking.

As a chromogenic print — the dominant photographic medium of the early 1980s — the work achieves a warmth and colour saturation that perfectly suits its subject: the molten gold of the fish against the dark water, the cool relief of the leaves. Signed and dated by the artist in the lower right of the sheet, and referenced on page 41 of the Nishimura Gallery publication, this is a fully documented and provenance-traceable work from a celebrated but relatively little-known chapter of Hockney's practice. Hockney's work at auction regularly achieves seven and eight figures; photographic works of this intimacy and rarity represent an exceptional point of entry into his oeuvre.

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FAQ

Is this an original David Hockney photograph? Yes — an original chromogenic print, signed and dated by the artist.

Is this work published in the literature? Yes — it is reproduced on page 41 of Photographs of China, published by Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo, 1989.

What is the provenance? The work comes from Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo — the publisher of the Photographs of China catalogue in which this image appears.

What is a chromogenic print? A chromogenic print (also known as a C-print) is a colour photograph produced using light-sensitive paper and chemical development — the standard fine art photographic process of the 1970s and 1980s, prized for its colour richness and archival stability.

What condition is the work in? Very good condition.

Is the work framed? Please contact us for framing options.

Do you ship internationally? Yes — worldwide, with museum-grade packaging, full insurance, and shipment tracking.