A Longer Look 

at the National Gallery, 8 August - 27 October 

A mirror in the background of David Hockney's My Parents of 1977 reflects a postcard of Piero della Francesca's Baptism of Christ, one of the Renaissance masterpieces from the National Gallery in London. Starting from this point the curators have woven a small but focussed exhibition looking at Hockney's interest in this, and other paintings from the National Gallery's collection. 

My Parents will be joined by another painting by Hockney from 1977, Looking at Pictures on a Screen. This also features Piero's Baptism of Christ, as well as works by Vermeer, Van Gogh and Degas. When seen together, we realise that both paintings are, among other things, about the act of looking, and the power of art. 

As well as discussing the two works by Hockney, we will look in detail at all of the paintings which Hockney paints, and consider what they can tell us about the man himself, and about his art.