Hockney's Louvre Etching: A Study in Perspective

The Atlantic's September 2026 issue features an analysis of David Hockney's 1974 etching 'Contrejour in the French Style,' created after the artist moved to Paris in 1973. The work depicts a window at the Louvre, which Hockney described as 'a picture in itself.' The print, part of an edition of 75, showcases Hockney's early fascination with Renaissance formality, evident in its orderly composition and single-point perspective. Hockney rebuilt the scene from drawings and photographs, streamlining the Tuileries gardens and using varied etching techniques—soft color for the blind, linear hatching for the floor, and pointillist touches on the wall. The article notes that this piece predates Hockney's shift toward fragmented space and expressive brushwork, serving as a farewell to his earlier style. Hockney passed away in June at age 88. The piece is accompanied by a photograph by Richard Schmidt.