When Bob Marchant chooses a subject to paint it is usually a painting of personal memorable experiences he has had in his life. A day at The Glyndebourne Opera House with David Hockney in 1975 celebrating the opening of “The Rakes Progress” that David had designed the sets for was such a day. Bob thought it deserved a portrait or two and has gone on to produce several portraits which depict many of Hockney's rich and famous friends who turned up for the celebration.
Christies Auction of Bob Marchant's Peter Langan's feast for David Hockney at Glyndebourne to celebrate the first night of the "The Rake's Progress" sold on the 18th of December 2012 for a recordbreaking GBP 40,850 (USD 52,920).
Anthony Horth Gallery presents a limited release of 5 Portraits in Oil. "A day at The Glyndebourne Opera
House with David Hockney" Marchant’s portraits depict many of Hockney's rich and famous friends who
turned up for the celebration.Marchant first met Hockney in the mid-’60s in London. His good mate Peter Langan had just set up his famous restaurant Langans Brasserie. Peter introduced Bob to David who was already on his way to becoming famous. With Hockney's original paintings on the walls of the restaurant, David agreed to do a
drawing that would be on the front cover of the restaurant's menu. When Peter introduced Bob to David he told him I’d like you to meet my dear friend “Golden Touch,’’ even Hockney laughed when he heard that description. Marchant shook hands with Hockney and was then invited to join him at the restaurant table to drink a rare expensive bottle of French brandy with Peter and his two partners Richard Shephard and actor Michael Caine. Once seated Hockney produced a handful of coloured pencils and by the time the bottle was empty, two hours had passed and he had produced a wonderful portrait of the three of them that would feature on the cover of the menu.
Marchant says "From that moment on Hockney became my favourite British artist and I have greatly admired him ever since. My judgement proved to be correct when a painting of his of boyfriends in a swimming pool in 2018 sold at auction for 90 million US dollars."
Marchant recounts his memories of Hockney's career and his inspirations for painting this event: David Hockney by 1975 was at the height of his powers, he had become Britain’s best known and most successful modern artist. In the late sixties, he had escaped to California where he has lived on and off ever since, only spending time in England for brief periods for social reasons to see family in Bradford and friends in London, or when work demanded. In 1975 Hockney was commissioned to produce set designs for Stravinsky’s The Rakes Progress to be performed at Glyndebourne, England’s famous opera house.
By then in the mid 70’s Langan’s Brasserie was now one of London’s most popular restaurants, a place to eat and be seen rubbing shoulders with a gaggle of celebrities who still believed they were living in the swinging sixties, still swilling Champagne by the bucket full, still kicking up their heels, still thumbing their nose at the rest of the world and still behaving badly. They were called The Café Society. By 1975 Langan’s Brasserie had become a paparazzi photographers favourite playground. All a photographer had to do was to prop himself up at the bar or hang about outside the front door knowing it would be just a matter of time before the “who’s who” of London’s glitterati would appear, get sloshed and hopefully make fools of themselves.
As Langan and Hockney were good mates Peter decided he would prepare a great banquet for David and a 100 of his friends who would be attending the opening of The Rakes Progress. It would be held on the lawns in the magnificent gardens outside the famous Glyndebourne mansion where the opera was being performed. It had always been the custom for people from London attending the opera to bring a Fortnum and Mason hamper, a rug would be spread out on the lawn in front of the opera house, a cork or two would be popped and the hamper eaten before going inside for the first curtain call late in the afternoon. Tickets for opening night at Glyndebourne are rare as gold teeth, only available for the privileged few who could afford them. Opera lovers would agree tickets are harder to come by than receiving an invitation to be a weekend guest at Buckingham Palace.
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