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Hodgkin’s work of the 1990s exhibits an increasingly expressive and gestural style. While his subject matter grew more emotionally complex, his brushwork became looser and his mark-making simplified. This economy of means indicated a growing confidence and a refinement of his imagery, as seen in Learning About Russian Music 1999.
Hodgkin has long acknowledged his admiration for the painters Edouard Vuillard, Edgar Degas, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and perhaps above all, Henri Matisse. In his homages to these figures he does not attempt to replicate their respective styles; rather, he aims to invoke his experience of looking at their works.
Over the years, Hodgkin’s work has attracted the attention of numerous poets and novelists, inviting various collaborations and responses from writers such as Bruce Chatwin, Susan Sontag and Julian Barnes. Hodgkin draws equal inspiration from literary sources: In Paris with You 1995–6 takes its title from a poem by James Fenton.
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Howard Hodgkin
Night and Day 1997-9 National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia  enlarge this image
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Howard Hodgkin After Matisse 1995-99 Collection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth enlarge this image
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