Posthumous Richard Hamilton Exhibition at National Gallery Reveals Academic Turn in Late Work

From October 10, 2012, to January 13, 2013, the National Gallery in London showcased 'Richard Hamilton: The Late Works,' an exhibition planned in collaboration with Hamilton prior to his passing in 2011. Curator Christopher Riopelle highlighted that the exhibition featured nineteen artworks created from 2004 onwards, focusing on Hamilton's connection to European painting traditions and the theme of the Annunciation. Among the works was 'The Sainsbury Wing, 1999-2000,' illustrating the museum's Sainsbury Wing. In contrast to his 2010 display at the Serpentine Gallery, this exhibition presented a more scholarly Hamilton, with the final pieces, 'Balzac [a] + [b] + [c], 2011 (printed 2012),' exploring concepts of art, beauty, and desire, marking a departure from the moral urgency seen in earlier works like 'The Citizen.'