John Hoyland R.A. (1934-2011) Untitled, 1969

John Hoyland R.A. (1934-2011) Untitled, 1969 Signed 'John Hoyland' (lower right); and dated '69' (lower left) Gouache on paper 55.5 x 76.5cm (21 7/8 x 30 1/8in). Footnotes: Provenance The Artist, from whom acquired by the present owner. We are grateful to The Hoyland Estate for their assistance in cataloguing this lot. The Hoyland Estate are currently preparing the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the Artist's work and would like to hear from owners of any work by the Artist so that these can be included in this comprehensive catalogue. Please write to The Hoyland Estate, c/o Modern British and Irish Art, Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London, W1S 1SR or email britart@bonhams.com Martin Krajewski first met John Hoyland in the late 1980s. He recalls 'it was at a gallery on Cork Street. I had admired John's work since my school days, he was something of a hero, he was the George Best of the art world'. Shortly after the initial meeting, Krajewski contacted Hoyland, hoping to buy paintings to hang in his firm's City of London offices. He recalls 'John's studio at Charterhouse Square was just two tube stops from my office. I would visit, we'd have lunch, and I would buy works, small ones initially'. Over the course of time, they would become good friends, and together would build one of the greatest collections of Hoyland's work held in private hands. In the early 90s, Hoyland introduced Krajewski to Terry Frost at Cork Street's Milligan's pub. Subsequently Frost and Krajewski would meet frequently to discuss art and life, often at the Chelsea Arts Club or at Frost's studio. Sometimes Hoyland would join, and such visits are recalled with great affection as rather liquid affairs – gin and tonics on the train to Penzance followed by bottles of champagne for breakfast. Krajewski recalls that Frost would telephone very early in the morning at first light to tell of 'the most beautiful watery yellow or fireball red sun rising over St Michaels Mount' or in the evening he'd call to recount a 'spectacular black moon over the Lizard' and would write often with illustrated letters. Whilst Krajewski states that in many ways the three men were very different – they each had similar humble roots - Hoyland was from a working-class family in Sheffield, Frost had left home at the age of fourteen to seek work, and Krajewski was raised on a small farm in Hertfordshire. The three men shared a deep appreciation of abstract painting and developed a mutual respect, especially between the two painters. Krajewski recalls that 'Terry and John were great and dear friends, John admired Terry's work greatly but would never really say it with quite the love he actually had for the other man (that would have been a weakness and an admission that Terry was better than him). Whereas Terry always spoke very openly about Hoyland and would say 'John takes such dangerous chances but pulls it off' and 'John likes to ride right on the edge of the saddle''. The approach to assembling the Krajewski collection was an extremely collaborative one. Buying directly from artists, Krajewski would seek their advice as to which pictures they considered worthy of inclusion. This sympathetic approach was duly rewarded, as he was often offered first refusal on major works. The collection had symbiotic benefits, as Krajewski was on occasion not permitted to collect his purchases for months on end. Hoyland would tell him 'I need that painting in the studio to make other paintings, it's like yoghurt, I need the culture'. Krajewski's support of artists extended beyond the purchase of paintings and prints. He took a role as patron by sponsoring Hoyland's Mel Gooding monograph, and several exhibition catalogues including both Hoyland's 1999, and Frost's 2000 shows at the Royal Academy. With such provenance the following select group of works by Hoyland and Frost are therefore representative, not only of some of the finest themes of the artists' mature outputs, but of an important and sustained friendship in each artists' life. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: AR AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing