David Hockney’s 1965 painting "English Garden" is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s London during its modern and contemporary evening sale on March 4. Estimated to fetch between £2.5 million and £3.5 million, the work is historically significant as the artist’s first foray into English landscape painting. Interestingly, Hockney painted the vibrant scene from memory and a photograph in American Vogue while he was living in Boulder, Colorado.
This auction highlight represents a pivotal moment in Hockney's career, marking the transition toward the landscape explorations that would become a hallmark of his oeuvre. Having remained in a private collection since 1997, its reappearance on the market underscores the enduring demand for Hockney’s mid-century works. The sale also features major pieces by Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, and Claude Monet, signaling a robust season for blue-chip modernism at Sotheby's.