David Hockney’s More Woldgate Timber, October 13th, 2009 (2009) will be sold as part of Christie’s 20/21st Century London evening sale next month. The work, which is being presented at auction for the first time, carries an estimate of £3.8 million–£5.5 million ($4.5 million–$7.4 million).
More Woldgate Timber, October 13th, 2009 comes from a series of landscapes painted by Hockney depicting the East Yorkshire countryside where he grew up. The artist began painting the seasons when he moved back to Yorkshire in 2004, often painting the same landscape multiple times as it moved through winter, spring, summer, and autumn.
“Hockney’s Yorkshire landscapes represent the maturation of his expressive painting style in the 2000s,” said Katharine Arnold, Christie’s vice chairman of 20th/21st century art and head of post-war and contemporary art, Europe. “Suffused with as much vitality as his Californian pictures, they reflect Hockney’s return to his roots, connecting to the British tradition of landscape painting.”
Few large-scale works from the series have reached the market. In 2022, Christie’s New York sold Winter Timber (2009) for $23.29 million, against an estimate of $10 million–$15 million as part of its sale of works from the Paul G. Allen Collection.
The announcement also follows a string of impressive results for works by Hockney that Christie’s has achieved this year. In March 2024, the auction house sold California (1965)—presented at auction for the first time since 1968—for £18.71 million ($25.02 million) in London. And in May 2024, it sold Hockney’s Lawn Being Sprinkled (1967) for $28.59 million in New York.
The 20/21st Century sale at Christie’s takes place on October 9th and is the auction house’s marquee event of Frieze Week in London. “Our October 20/21 marquee sale is thoughtfully curated to meet the evolving market demand, offering outstanding works that resonate with both seasoned and emerging collectors” added Arnold.
This news follows last week’s announcement that Sotheby’s will be auctioning Hockney’s L’Arbois, Sainte-Maxime (1968) during its London evening auction on October 9th. That work carries an estimate of £7 million–£10 million ($9 million–$13 million).
