Accession Number
2000/2.317

Title
Red Square and the Forbidden City

Artist(s)
David Hockney

Artist Nationality
British (modern)

Object Creation Date
1982

Medium & Support
lithograph on Somerset Satin rag paper

Dimensions
19 5/8 in x 21 7/16 in (49.85 cm x 54.45 cm);26 in x 28 in x 1 5/8 in (66.04 cm x 71.12 cm x 4.13 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Gregory and Marlene Burhans

Subject matter
The image is an aerial view of Red, or Tiananmen Square. This lithograph was created by Hockney as part of a book he worked on with the writer Stephen Spender.  The book is titled China Diary, and describes the pair's travels through the country in 1981. The illustrations throughout the book, such as this one with its bright colors and bold lines, are more revealing of the artists' humor and whimsical fascination with a foreign land than they are careful descriptions of what the pair encountered during their trip.

Physical Description
A print on paper cut in the shape of a upsidedown "T."  The fat rectangle at the bottom is nearly empty, with yellow stripes on three sides indicating walls,  The thinner rectangle at the top contains structures outlined in bright red, yellow, blue, and green.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
aerial views
artists' books (books)
diaries