WHAT? David Hockney: Drawing from Life 

WHERE? National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H OHE

WHEN? Now until 21st January 2024

WHY GO? To feel the love. What an apt title for this exhibition that opened on the cusp of Covid, was hastily abandoned, but now is back with a flourish plus a wealth of wonderful extras.

Drawing from life is Hockney at his most endearing. He has captured his family and friends over the years with love and tenderness, warts and all. The dozens of drawings he made of his mother are just an example of how prolific an artist he is.  We can never get enough of this chain smoking Yorkshire-man who may have immortalised LA with his dazzling swimming pools, but is at his very best when sat in front of an easel chatting away to old pals or new in the case of Harry Styles whose recent portrait has been featured everywhere to create a buzz about the new show.

So much has eclipsed since Hockney’s first exhibition of life drawings, not least that the Portrait Gallery has been transformed, and can now stage his most recent work along with old favourites in a larger than life setting across several galleries. 

One whole gallery is devoted to self portraits, too numerous to list, another to his mother Laura, then there are three other galleries portraying his lifelong friend Celia Birtwell, former partner Gregory Evans and his master printer Maurice Payne.  

Such devotion, as he has captured them over the years, through a range of different mediums, is remarkably touching. This is an intimate Hockney exhibition you won’t want to miss.

IN THE KNOW: Get ahead for Christmas. The Hockney shop within the gallery’s main emporium is packed full of gift ideas for enthusiastic fans from the exclusive accompanying catalogue or signature wooden pencil box, to the cutest mini knitted sausage dog (he loves a dachshund) and coming up soon, Celia Birtwell is launching a small range of printed silk scarves to celebrate the exhibition.