Robert Tanitch reviews two art books
David Hockney: Current (Thames & Hudson £45) explores Hockney’s extraordinary body of work over the past decade and includes the first catalogue raisoné of his iPhone and iPad drawings. Yosemite and the arrival of spring have never looked so bright and colourful. “I do not want to repeat myself too much,” he says. “I do not really want to repeat. I would rather find something fresh, new. I feel I need variety”. This handsome volume shows him experimenting publicly with new ways of working, constantly inventive, still taking risks, still immensely popular. And then there are the 82 portraits. “The more you look, the more you see. There is no such thing as a neutral observer.”
Bosch the 5th Centenary Exhibition (Thames & Hudson £29.95). If you are intending to visit Hell there is no better guide than Hieronymus Bosch. The Museum de Prado in Madrid houses the largest collection of his works and these include the unforgettable and powerful The Garden of Earthly Delights, gargantuan, hypnotic, the ultimate Brexit, plus The Adoration of the Magi and The Haywain. This handsome catalogue accompanies and celebrates the quincentenary of Bosch’s death in 1516. He was born c1450. There are a number of highly informative essays. I suspect the Larry Silver’s essay on sins and their punishment will be particularly popular
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