David Hockney's 82 Portraits at Ca' Pesaro, Venice

David Hockney's exhibition of 82 portraits and one still life opened at Ca' Pesaro in Venice, the first stop of an international tour that will include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The works, created between 2013 and 2016, all depict subjects seated in the same chair, oriented differently by the artist. The series began after the death of Hockney's assistant, with the first portrait showing another assistant, Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, in distress. Curated by Edith Devaney of the Royal Academy of Arts, the exhibition originated when Hockney sent her photos of the first ten portraits. She suggested he continue and proposed a show at the Royal Academy, where the works were first exhibited in 2016. The number 82 was chosen because it was the maximum capacity of the Royal Academy's gallery; Hockney painted about 90. The still life replaced a subject who canceled due to a family bereavement. Hockney writes brief comments next to each portrait, revealing personal anecdotes. He believes painting captures people better than photography. The exhibition is titled with characteristic irony, reflecting Hockney's wit.