LONDON.- Lund Humphries presents the first book to explore the influence of India on the work of renowned British artist Howard Hodgkin, accompanying a major exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath.

For popular British artist Howard Hodgkin (1932–2017), India was a source of inspiration from his first visit to the country in 1964. Although Hodgkin’s personal collection of Indian art has been featured in various publications, this will be the first to explore the influence of India on his own work.

The first of Hodgkin’s paintings inspired by India, Indian Subject (Blue), 1965–1969, was also the first of his paintings to be painted on wood, rather than canvas. It began a long exploration of paint surface and support that became a key characteristic of his practice. The book’s illustrative journey begins with early works of the 1960s and includes paintings from throughout Hodgkin’s career including some of his last work, completed in 2017.

Beautifully illustrated, Howard Hodgkin Painting India features unpublished archival material including Hodgkin’s 1970s India travel journals, newly commissioned essays by key figures in Indian art writing, including Shanay Jhaveri and Geeta Kapur, as well as an in-depth artist interview. This unique publication sheds light on an important strand of Hodgkin’s oeuvre and provides valuable insights into his work in general.

‘Howard Hodgkin: India on Paper’ will be shown at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath in October.

Howard Hodgkin: Painting India is edited by Eleanor Clayton and published by Lund Humphries, in association with The Hepworth, Wakefield.