David Hockney’s “Dog Painting 17” to be auctioned during Frieze Week

In 1994-95 David Hockney created more than 40 works for his Dog Series, portraying his dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie. The paintings emerged after Hockney endured the deaths of several friends to AIDS and the loss of longtime patron Henry Geldzahler to pancreatic cancer. He told a journalist he wanted “desperately to paint something loving,” a sentiment the artist’s biographer links to a need for catharsis.

The Guardian

Christie’s has listed the work—titled Dog Painting 17, depicting Stanley asleep on a cushion—with an estimate of £1.5 million to £2.5 million. It is the first piece from the series to appear at auction following Hockney’s death in June 2026. Christie’s believes only six of the dog paintings remain in private collections; the rest are held by the David Hockney Foundation. The seller acquired the canvas after the series was shown at the Louver gallery in Los Angeles, a show that attracted roughly 7,000 visitors in four days, many accompanied by their own dogs. The painting will be on public view at Christie’s in London from 8 October and is scheduled to be sold on 14 October during Frieze Week.

The Guardian

“This is such an exciting painting for us,” said Tessa Lord, Christie’s head of post-war and contemporary art, emphasizing the rarity of the work. She praised the piece for its “incredible spontaneity,” “fluidity of brushstrokes,” and the “mottling underneath the cushion” that animates Stanley’s ear.

The Guardian

• “This is such an exciting painting for us,” — Tessa Lord

The Guardian

• “Oah, it’ll be dry in the morning, luv, and you can just pick it up.” — David Hockney

The Guardian

• “He felt such a loss of love, this was kind of a catharsis for him.” — Tessa Lord

The Guardian