John Hoyland: The Last Paintings - Sheffield Museums Trust

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A composite image of three John Hoyland works. Left to right.
Left. Old Love, a predominately pink painting. There is a large black splodge of paint just right of centre, with a darker pink splodge within it. Streaks of blue and yellow paint drip down the left side of the canvas.

Middle. Elegy (For Terry Frost) is a large aqua coloured work. There is a smoky black smudge to the top left of the work and a yellow circle in the bottom right of the work. There is a small black dot inside that ringed with red paint.

Right. Moon in the Water (Mysteries). The back ground has swirls of purple and navy shades. There is a large red circle in the bottom right of the work with specks of red and yellow paint around it.

A composite image of two John Hoyland works.

Left. Night Sky, a predominately blue work, with aqua blue background that fades to navy along the edges. There is a large, darker blue oval in the centre and then small white circles (like stars) scattered around the image.

Right. Souvenir for Patrick Caulfield, a predominately orange work. The back ground is an orange wash over black or brown paint. There is a large, bright orange blob just right of centre.

L-R: John Hoyland, Old Love, 2009; John Hoyland, Elegy (For Terry Frost), 2003; John Hoyland, Moon in the Water (Mysteries), 2011 © The John Hoyland Estate

L-R: John Hoyland, Night Sky, 2005; John Hoyland, Souvenir for Patrick Caulfield, 2006 © The John Hoyland Estate

Born in Sheffield, John Hoyland (1934-2011) is regarded as one of Britain’s leading abstract painters. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of his passing, this exhibition in partnership with The John Hoyland Estate showcased some of the very last works he created.

John Hoyland is renowned for his bold use of colour and inventive forms. In a career spanning over 50 years, his tireless innovation pushed the boundaries of abstract painting and cemented his reputation as one of the most inventive British artists of the 20th century. Made during the last eight years of his life, these nine large-scale canvases, some of which have never been publically displayed before, see Hoyland’s determination to challenge and innovate undiminished.

This final series of paintings celebrate life in the face of death. Paying homage to his artistic heroes such as Vincent Van Gogh, as well as commemorating friends and contemporaries like Patrick Caulfield and Terry Frost, these vital works powerfully embody Hoyland’s commitment to life and love.

This exhibition has now closed

Millennium Gallery

Arundel Gate

Sheffield

S1 2PP

A large abstract painting with a predominately dark brown background. In the centre there is a large blue blob, that darkens to navy towards the bottom. Overlapping that at the bottom left are splatted lines of thick red and blue paint. In the bottom right, there is a circular spray of yellow paint, overlapped with thicker paint in purple, blue and yellow. There is swirling, thin orange linework on top of that. Sprays and splashes of all the colours used are visible over the entire canvas. — John Hoyland, The Swoop, 2003, Acrylic on canvas

© The John Hoyland Estate

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