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Etching on J. Green mould made paper. Edition 75: this impression 73/75. Signed by the artist and dated 71 lower right in pencil; numbered 73/75 lower left in pencil.
Maurice was an etching printer at Petersburg Press in London. An occasional Hockney subject, Payne described sitting for the famed artist: “His board and easel is probably only 30 inches away from your face and his face. There’s no doubt you are thinking what is he thinking, and what are you thinking[sic]. And then if I’m just sitting there concentrating on him concentrating, you’re nearly feeling as though you’re meditating.”
This portrait balances the spontaneity of a sketch with the gravity of a portrait. Payne’s hair is a flourish of lines, while Hockney has artfully detailed the folds of clothing to outline the printer’s lanky physique. Hockney pairs long, elegant lines with hatching and stippling to define faint areas of shadow: Payne’s stubble, arm hair, and bushy brows.
