Moon 1987
Lithograph, framed and glazed
Inscribed in pencil along lower edge 'A P HH 87 For RS with love from HH', hand form watermark
image 30.5 x 51cm

Provenance: Collection of Robert Skelton, O.B.E. (1929-2022).

Given to Robert Skelton by Howard Hodgkin on the occasion of Robert receiving the OBE in 1988.

Hodgkin had been introduced to Indian paintings whilst still at school by his art master, Wilfred Blunt, who was keen to introduce his pupils to the idea of collecting art. Blunt was able to put on two exhibitions, the first of Mughal paintings from a London book dealer and the second of works in the Royal Collection at Windsor. This experience focussed the young Hodgkin's interest on Indian painting and from about the age of fourteen he began to buy one or two paintings. A little later he found another painting in a shop in South Kensington which he bought. Being close to the Victoria and Albert Museum, he took it to show the curator of India art, a young Robert Skelton. This proved a vital moment in Hodgkin's collecting but also his artistic direction. Through Robert he met those who were to guide him in his collecting life, in particular Stuart Cary Welch, the wealthy American scholar and collector, who was living in London at this time. Robert and Howard became life-long friends.

With regard to Hodgkins's artistic direction, there can be no doubt that he was greatly moved by his visits to India. The first of these was with Robert in 1964. Robert later recalled recognising the impact that this visit was having on Hodgkin:

"He and I together with Mrs. Saryu Doshi were on a tour of Rajasthan and visited the then Maharaja of Kishangarh in his Palace overlooking the lake with the low Kishangarh hills in the background..... after being received by Maharaja Sumer Singh we were taken by his court musician, whose name I remember as Amar Lal, into the Haveli where he sang devotional songs of the Vallabha Sampradaya during worship in the main shrine.....before going up to the small rectangular terrace overlooking the lake where Saryu and Amar Lal were sitting on the low external balcony wall conversing about music with one, the singer? leaning towards the other. I was sitting on a short side wall with the lake on my right and Howard was facing me, utterly absorbed, drinking in the whole scene with plantain tree leaves behind him."

Hodgkin went on to produced several versions of this scene captured by Skelton. One of which was to become 'Indian subject (Blue)' in Hodgkins Time and Place catalogue, p.73.

Skelton notes that 'Howard has been replaced by the tree(s) behind him and you will be aware of his liking for plantains."

Hodgkin recalled this same moment in his recollections for the Radio 4 programme, Desert Island Discs.