Just what is it that makes today's homes so different?

1991

Not on view

This work is a remake of Hamilton’s famous 1956 collage that, according to the artist, “seemed due for an update.” Using the Quantel Paintbox system, Hamilton populated his interior, based on a postcard of a Spanish hotel room, with images suited to the less optimistic mood of the early 1990s: the body builder of the early version has become a financier engrossed in his work; the AIDS painting, by the Canadian artists’ group General Idea (ca. 1988), grimly parodies Robert Indiana’s famous LOVE (1965); and scenes of war and devastation are seen through the windows.

Artwork Details

Title: Just what is it that makes today's homes so different?
Artist: Richard Hamilton (British, London 1922–2011 Oxfordshire)
Date: 1991
Medium: Electrophotographic print
Edition: 24/25 + 3 artist's proofs
Dimensions: 11 3/4 × 16 5/8 in. (29.8 × 42.2 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Purchase, Reba and Dave Williams Gift, 2000
Object Number: 2000.397
Rights and Reproduction: © 2026 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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[Abandoned House], Walker Evans American, Instant internal dye diffusion transfer print (Polaroid SX-70) — [Abandoned House]
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Adonis in Y fronts, Richard Hamilton British, Screenprint from twelve stencils — Adonis in Y fronts
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1963

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