David Hockney’s A Picture of Two Chairs, 1985, is a signed lithograph from a limited edition of 60, part of his pioneering Moving Focus series.
In this lithograph, Hockney builds on his exploration of non-linear perspectives and spatial awareness. The composition of A Picture of Two Chairs employs a cubist-inspired framework, with diagonal lines and jagged angles that distort the viewer’s sense of space, creating a dynamic, fragmented background.
The print features two armchairs placed prominently at the centre. Unusually for this series, Hockney depicts these chairs without any human presence, focusing instead on their symbolic significance. One chair is bright yellow, the other monochrome, and they face each other as if engaged in an unspoken conversation, inviting viewers to ponder their possible narrative.
In A Picture of Two Chairs, Hockney uses these modernist objects to evoke themes of memory, time, and human experience, elevating them from simple furniture to profound symbols within his artistic narrative.