Panama Hat

Medium: Etching and aquatint on Crisbrook handmade paper
Year: 1972
Sheet: 16 3/8 x 13 1/4 inches (41.6 x 33.8 cm)
Edition: 125
Other Impressions: 60 numbered in Roman Numerals
Artist’s Proofs: 15 AP
Publishers: Brooke Alexander, New York and Petersburg Press, London
Printer: Shirley Clement Print Shop, Amsterdam
Literature: Scottish Arts Council (127), Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (119)

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil

Panama Hat depicts a still life, echoing that of Van Gogh’s Chair with Pipe (1888), emphasizing the artist’s knowledge and passion for Art History. Hockney returned to pay tribute to the Dutch artist repeatedly throughout his career. The print depicts Geldzahler’s belongings atop a chair, including a pipe, an empty glass, a white hat and a pin-stripe jacket hanging on the back. Despite the absence of the curator himself, his presence is felt very strongly through the items Hockney has chosen to represent his character. The still life becomes almost an abstract portrait of Geldzahler, as the print captures the spirit of the man; we do not need to see him physically to understand him, this collection of objects is enough. Henry Geldzahler, who was once described as ‘the most powerful and controversial art curator alive’. Belgian-born Geldzahler was the first curator of 20^th-century art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as a modern art historian and critic. David Hockney remained one of his closest friends, as the two figures moved within the same circles.

The print is simple in its composition, the chair and objects are placed against a white background, where depth is added solely through the addition of a shadow sketched gently on the right-hand side. As the chair, hat, pipe and glass are depicted with minimal texture, sketched mostly as empty shapes, this makes the jacket stand out within the composition. The dark, graphic texture of the stripes on the jacket not only adds texture and contrast within the rest of the print, but adds an extra layer of realism and depth. The simplistic, sketch-like style of this print echoes his other prints created in the early 1970s, such as French Shop, Rue de Seine and  Flowers Made of Paper and Black Ink.

Auction Results

DAVID HOCKNEY (Born 1937)
Panama Hat, 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbook handmade paper
Signed in pencil ‘David Hockney’ and dated ’72’ (lower right) and numbered 57/125 (lower left)
This print is from the numbered edition of 125
(there were also 60 copies numbered in Roman numbers and 15 artist’s proofs)

Sotheby’s New-York: 22 October 2024
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 48,000
AUCTION RECORD FOR PANAMA HAT

DAVID HOCKNEY (b. 1937)
Panama Hat (Scottish Arts Council 127; M.C.A.T. 119), 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbook handmade paper
Sheet: 16 3/8 x 13 1/4 inches (41.6 x 33.7 cm)
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered XXII/L
This impression is number 22 from the edition of 60 in Roman numerals
There is also an edition of 125 in Arabic numerals plus 15 artist’s proofs

Sotheby’s New-York: 14 May 2024
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 17,780

DAVID HOCKNEY (b. 1937)
Panama Hat, 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed and dated 72 (lower right)
Numbered 23/125 (lower left)
This impression is number 23 from the edition of 125 plus 15 artist’s proofs
(there is also an edition of 60 in Roman numerals)

Sotheby’s New-York: 19 October 2023
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,480

DAVID HOCKNEY (b. 1937)
Panama Hat (S.A.C. 127; M.C.A.T. 119), 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbook handmade paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 2/125 (total edition includes 15 artist’s proofs)

Doyle New-York: 26 October 2022
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 30,000

DAVID HOCKNEY (b. 1937)
Panama Hat, 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbook handmade paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 108/125

Christie’s London: 28 September 2022
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 25,200 / USD 27,030

DAVID HOCKNEY (b. 1937)
Panama Hat, 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 90/125

Bonhams New-York: 12 May 2022
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 31,875

Phillips London: 19 January 2022
Estimated: GBP 5,000 – 7,000
GBP 6,300 / USD 8,595

Sotheby’s New-York: 22 April 2021
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 47,880

DAVID HOCKNEY (b.1937)
Panama Hat (Scottish Arts Council 127; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo 119), 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbook handmade paper
Signed in pencil, dated and numbered 87/125

Christie’s New-York: 16 April 2021
Estimated: USD 18,000 – 25,000
USD 30,000

DAVID HOCKNEY (B. 1937)
Panama Hat, 1972
Etching and aquatint on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered 37/125

Phillips London: 21 January 2021
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 21,420 / USD 29,385