Henry, Seventh Avenue

While Hockney's paintings were often large in size and brightly colored, his drawings, which were executed as independent works of art, were on a much more intimate scale and showed his subtle mastery of draftsmanship and portraiture. This work is one of several he did of his friend and mentor Henry Geldzahler (1935–1994), a great proponent of contemporary art and curator of modern art at The Met from 1967 to 1977. Executed on paper with colored crayon, the drawing has the look of a spontaneous caricature, but aptly captures the sitter's likeness and character. Geldzahler's portly physique fits snuggly inside the cube-like chair. His relaxed pose (cigar in hand) and casual outfit (wearing one of his many print shirts) convey an ease and familiarity that are as much a result of his personality as they are of his friendship with the artist. Hockney's autobiographical references in his choice of subject matter make his art a personal diary of where he's been and who he's seen.