WHAT? Hockney and Piero - A Longer Look 

WHERE? National Gallery, Room 46, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN

WHEN? Now until 27th October, Free to view

WHY GO? To absorb, analyse and deconstruct.  Even the most talented of artists have been inspired by other artists. Take Hockney: he was enraptured by a biblical triptych at a tender age, the glory of which transfixed him and he never quite forgot Piero della Francesca’s, The Baptism of Christ (1437) which subsequently found its way into two of his most significant paintings.

The Renaissance Piero may not be immediately associated with Hockney fans but this intimate little exhibition unravels the bond showcasing how it inspired the young artist on his regular visits to the National Gallery in the Eighties.

So enthusiastic was the eager student that he even wrote to the custodians suggesting that sketching in the Gallery should be allowed but was given short shrift! 

This one-room exhibition celebrates Hockney’s love for The Baptism of Christ by displaying it alongside the famous painting of his parents and in stark contrast, the more formal painting of his friend, Belgian curator Henry Geldzahler. In both paintings Hockney indirectly references Piero’s Baptism.

Intimate, all absorbing and, most pertinently, intriguing to ponder why a modern artist like Hockney was so enamoured by the divinity of this Renaissance artist.

IN THE KNOW  Amongst the many tributes acknowledging the National Gallery’s Bicentenary Year, the exhibition catalogue features a congratulatory dialogue between art critic Martin Gayford and Hockney who expands on the importance of the gallery saying, “pictures painted many years ago can speak to us today; the artist may have died but the pictures are still alive.”