David Hockney
(1971) 
 

Textile designer, Celia Birtwell, has been a dear friend and close confidante to David Hockney since the 1960s. With their northern roots and shared sense of humour, they found they had much in common from their first meeting and together they were at the heart of bohemian London. The artist has always been fascinated by the changing nature of Celia’s face, and she remained one of his favourite models.

Although often dubbed Hockney’s ‘muse’, their relationship is much more than that. They have always admired each other’s work and her sittings for him have been collaborations, as well as an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company. In his portraits of Celia, the artist has always paid close attention to her distinctive and romantic fabric designs and some of Celia’s own work is inspired by the artist.

Celia Carennac, August 1971
1971
Colored pencil on paper
The Morgan Library & Museum, N.Y.
https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/online/celia-carennac-august-1971