Every effort has been made to acknowledge correct copyright of images where applicable. Any errors or omissions are unintentional and should be notified to the Publisher, who will arrange for corrections to appear in any reprints. Courtesy Bing McGilvray: p. 4 © David Hockney, photographer Jonathan Wilkinson: pp. 5, 9, 10, 14 bottom left, 15 top both, bottom left, 20 bottom, 27 both, 31 right all, 35 top, 36 bottom, 38 top & centre, 40 all, 46 © David Hockney, photographer Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima: pp. 6, 12, 13, 14 top both, bottom right, 15 bottom right, 22 © David Hockney, photographer Richard Schmidt: p. 7 © Lamberts Glass, www.lamberts.de: pp. 16/17 all, 18 © Succession H. Matisse/ DACS 2019 Image: London/ Bridgeman Images: p. 21 ‘Tree of Life’ Stained Glass behind the Altar in the Chapel of the Rosary at Vence, 1948–51 (stained glass) by Henri Matisse Courtesy Barley Studio: pp. 28 top, 29, 30, 32/33, 34, 35 bottom, 36 top, 37
This edition © Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd, 2020 Text of interview © Tacita Dean and David Hockney Remaining text © Westminster Abbey Enterprises Ltd Photography © The Dean and Chapter of Westminster except as listed above First published in 2020 by Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd 10 Lion Yard Tremadoc Road London SW4 7NQ, UK www.scalapublishers.com ISBN 978-1-78551-237-7 Project management by Jessica Hodge Design by Raymonde Watkins Printed in Turkey 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd.
THE QUEEN’S WINDOW BY DAVID HOCKNEY WESTMINSTER ABBEY
Acknowledgements The Dean and Chapter of Westminster and the publishers gratefully acknowledge the material assistance given to them in the preparation of this publication by: Tacita Dean; Hockney Studio; Barley Studio; and Lamberts Glashütte, Germany.
‘I became aware that I was going to do something quite important for the Abbey … I’m proud of the window. It looks terrific in there.’ David Hockney, March 2019 The Queen’s Window was designed by renowned artist David Hockney for Westminster Abbey and unveiled in autumn 2018. In an extended conversation between Hockney and fellow-artist Tacita Dean recorded specifically for this publication, the artist reflects on his approach to the design and his use of colour, as well as on the underlying themes that the window represents. The work was commissioned in autumn 2016 by the Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, to celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II as England’s longest-serving monarch. The resulting design is a vibrantly coloured and quintessentially English country scene featuring a Yorkshire landscape with the hawthorn blossom that Hockney loves, reflecting his sense of The Queen’s own abiding delight in the countryside. The artist himself describes it as a ‘celebration’.
THE QUEEN’S WINDOW BY DAVID HOCKNEY WESTMINSTER ABBEY
The Queen’s Window by David Hockney Westminster Abbey follows the process of making the window from design to installation, illustrating traditional glass-making techniques that have been in use since the Middle Ages. It provides detail on the conception, consultation and creation, from initial commission and choice of subject; through colour selection, glass-making and cutting, leading and finishing; to the final dedication ceremony only two years after the initial commission. The text also draws on the knowledge and expertise of Barley Studio, makers of the window, and is richly illustrated with photography generously supplied by both Hockney Studio and Barley Studio, as well as by Westminster Abbey.