It's impossible to overstate the importance of collectors within the history of art. For every Picasso there's a Gertrude Stein and every Jackson Pollock has their Peggy Guggenheim. Most museum collections are formed around the nucleus of a private donation. Collectors help to shape how work is experienced and remembered, ultimately moulding the narrative of art itself. To live with an artwork is to experience its physical reality, its tangible qualities as an object, and puts the owner eye-to-eye with the artist.
Hidden is honoured to have recently secured an exceptional collection of work that would grace the walls of any collector. Featuring some of the greatest names in 20th and 21st century art, it contains exceptional pieces that will ignite the passion of any collector and resonate down through history. Any one of them would form the core of another iconic collection. These works were carefully assembled in the years before the pandemic, a labour of love that reflected a profound appreciation of their aesthetic value and their investment potential. Hidden are delighted to be able to offer our clients the chance to acquire these wonderful pieces for their own homes.
This is a truly unique opportunity to acquire such an exclusive portfolio at sub-market prices. Don't hesitate to give us a call if you'd like to secure any of these artworks - we expect them to go very quickly!
The pieces listed below are only a taster of what is waiting. Hit the link at the bottom of this article to see the full collection.
Andy Warhol, Dollar Bill Drawing, c.1974 - 1984
In this fabulous drawing, Warhol distils all the elements of American pop culture down to their most simple expression. Fame, glamour, success, consumerism: all are contained within the simple dollar sign. It is drawn on a piece of headed notepaper from the third location of The Factory, which he occupied for a decade between 1974 and 1984. It was in this studio that he began to gravitate towards the international celebrity set, leaving the counterculture behind. These were the Studio 54 years when his glamour burned brightest. This drawing comes from the epicentre of Warhol's fame and is a peerless piece of both art and social history.
There is no bigger art brand than Andy Warhol. To hang one of his artworks on your wall is one of the most coveted and aspirational items you can cross off a bucket list. He enjoys a heady combination of mass appeal, critical recognition and market success.
David Hockney, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Yorkshire
A wonderful image of the famous Salts Mill in Saltaire, Yorkshire, home to one of the world's largest collections of work by Hockney. It was established in its current form by Jonathan Silver, a close friend of the artist. During a visit by Hockney in the summer of 1997, Silver encouraged him to paint Yorkshire. A series of oils duly began to appear, resplendent scenes of vibrant colour and dreamlike perspective. This was to eventually culminate in Hockney's acclaimed exhibition of landscapes at the Royal Academy in 2012.
The artist would regularly drop in to Salts Mill, and while there would sign prints and posters for visitors. This piece was purchased directly from the gallery in Saltaire, and is a wonderful opportunity to acquire a work only one step removed from Hockney himself.
This piece is quintessential Hockney, capturing his profound appreciation for life, love and landscape. It's a wonderful artefact from a productive and critically acclaimed moment in his career, replete with biographical significance.
Damien Hirst, Elaidoyl Chloride, 2011
The spot, one of Hirst's favoured motifs since his earliest days as an artist, is an iconography in which colour can exist in a perfect format. He has described these works as “an assault on your senses. They grab hold of you and give you a good shaking. As adults, we’re not used to it. It’s an amazing fact that all objects leap beyond their own dimension.” This is only one aspect of these densely layered works. Most are given titles drawn from a catalogue of biochemical and diagnostic reagents, drawing attention to our reliance upon drugs and medical practices that we don't fully understand. The repetition of spots can be seen in the sinister context of dependency and addiction.
The 40 Woodcut Spots series ranks among Hirst's most instantly recognisable work. The prints within it are at once beautiful and reflective of some of the artist's major themes. They are emblems of contemporary British art and are housed in numerous collections worldwide. Their place in art history is assured and this is reflected in a buoyant international market that has seen Hirst become one of the most successful contemporary print artists at auction.
Chris Levine, Lightness of Being (Fluoro), 2016
Already considered one of the iconic images of the 21st century, Levine's spiritual and meditative portrait of Queen Elizabeth II needs no introduction. The National Portrait Gallery has called it the most evocative portrait of a royal by any artist. Rendered here in dazzling fluorescent pink, the image straddles the realms of realism and pop, all at once capturing the reality of the individual while emphasising the transcendent idea of majesty that she came to represent.
Lightness of Being is an extraordinary piece of work that has made waves from the moment it was unveiled in 2008. An image of enormous international appeal, the story of its creation is legendary. For an artwork with such a profound presence in our visual culture, this particular variation was published in a tiny edition of only ten prints. It has exceptional wall appeal and in a world defined by the power of images makes a terrific investment option.
Pablo Picasso, Colombe du Paix for 'Pour un Nouveau Printemps', 1963
Picasso's Dove of Peace became the archetypal image of harmony in the 20th century. Rising from the debris of war-ravaged Europe in 1949 it captured his imagination for nearly twenty years and became the emblem of peace movements worldwide. No collection of work by Picasso is complete without one. Found here in its simplest and purest form, this lithograph was created to accompany the handmade book ‘For a New Spring’, published in 1963.
Picasso is one of the undisputed titans of the art world, with an international demand for his works that regularly sees him top annual lists of the most successful artists at auction. Numerous major exhibitions are planned in 2023 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death and his work will be firmly in the public eye.
January 13, 2023
