Howard Hodgkin: A man infected by India

Music writer Anthony Peattie left was Howard Hodgkins partner for 33 years PicLucinda Burgess 1984Last week Mumbais art aficionados had the chance to revisit one of Britains greatest contemporary artists Sir Howard Hodgkin who passed away in March this year at the age of 84 was notable for the bold bands and swirls of colour in his abstract paintings even while he chose to identify himself as a figurative artist The Turner Prizewinner continues to live on not just through his paintings but also in the form of his extensive personal collection of objets dart part of which will be auctioned by Sothebys on October 24 in London Select pieces from this auction were shown at a preview in Mumbai on FridayThe upcoming auction has about 400 works from European sculpture to Persian tapestries Hodgkins personal collection brings together myriad disciplines including Modern and PostWar British art Islamic art and contemporary prints In an email interview Hodgkins partner of 33 years Anthony Peattie a music writer tells us that the sale presents a portrait of Hodgkin through the objects that he chose to surround himself with I wanted the sale to be a celebration of Howard perhaps showing a different side to what is already known of him Peattie writes in an email to middayIndoPortuguese fallfront cabinetThe discreet exterior of Hodgkins London residence gave visitors no indication of the treasures it held It is both home and a modernday grand tour with objects sourced from India to Italy Yamini Mehta Sothebys international head of South Asian Art recalls how Hodgkin once stated I think of collecting as a sort of virus really and I was infectedPeattie seconds this bringing up how collecting ran in Hodgkins family His greatgrandparents filled their house with English ceramic tiles for instance With his collectors instincts Hodgkin started as a 14yearold and loved prints reliefs tapestries and even flags mdash seemingly disparate objects He would refer to his acquisitions as costume jewellery for the home objects with little apparent practical use that excited the eye in unexpected ways He marked auction catalogues with an MH when he wanted something These were his musthaves writes PeattieA miniature painting showing Rao Raja Bishan Singh watching an elephant fight North India Rajasthan Bundi early 19th century PicSothebysAside from the exceptional there was also a delight in the orphan says Peattie in finding some misrecognised piece and restoring it to its rightful primary place Hodgkin once bought an early 19th century mahogany teapot which stood on four tiny lions paw feet Nobody knew what these feet were until he had them identified as late Roman ivory casket fittings He later gave them to the British Museum in memory of his father Eliot HodgkinMehta says that it is almost impossible to understand Hodgkins work without understanding his connection to India His first visit was in 1964 and he returned every year subsequently until his final visit to Mumbai just days before his death One of his finest works is in the form of the giant banyan tree shadow mural that he created for the British Council building by architect Charles Correa in New DelhiIndia had a profound effect upon his work and his aesthetic sensibility which fed from the colours patterns and textures that he experienced there It is no surprise that Indian works and Indian motifs are so central to this collection says Mehta One extraordinary piece in this collection is a monumental double portrait of Victor Alexander Bruce 9th Earl of Elgin and Maharana Sir Fateh Singh of Udaipur Another is the late contemporary artist Bhupen Khakars DeLuxe Tailors which was given by the artist to Hodgkin as a gift He also collected decorative art from India and Islamic cultures and was known for his love of the voluptuous curves of hookah bases and patterns of inlaid metals Indian motifs run through this collection appearing across tiles textiles and tapestries Howard could never resist an elephant says PeattieHodgkin met Peattie after his marriage to Julia Lane with whom he had two children ended in 1975 The decision to auction the collection says Peattie is because Howard liked the idea of a sale after his death What was once purposeful and inspirational for Hodgkin now amplifies his absence After he died the house was so sad all these objects remained in place but after 33 years that we spent together everything had changed He wanted to give a lot of money away after his death and the sale is to raise the funds to enable his executors to fulfil his wishes for others says Peattie