Bedroom 1968

Howard Hodgkin made this painting, Bedroom, with lithograph and silkscreen. I imagine him layering those colours, building up the image bit by bit, almost like he’s constructing a memory. The shapes are so simple - a red circle hovering over a green form, embraced by a stroke of orange. But there’s something so evocative about it. I picture Hodgkin thinking about the colour of a moment, maybe a flash of red on a bedside table, the cool green of the curtains filtering the morning light. That orange almost vibrates, doesn’t it? Like the feeling of warmth, or the echo of a conversation. Hodgkin’s paintings often feel like emotional landscapes, capturing the essence of a place or an experience. He's not alone in this, think of Bonnard, who was also obsessed with capturing the fleeting moments of domestic life. These artists remind us that painting isn’t just about what you see, but about how you feel, and how those feelings can be shared across time.