A painting by influential Bradford artist David Hockney will go under the hammer for the first time in more than 30 years this autumn.

Depicting a view of the sun shining over the French Riviera, ‘Early Morning, Sainte-Maxime’ is said to be a tribute to Hockney’s emotional state at the height of his relationship with Peter Schlesinger.

Boasting hues of lilac and teal to depict the rising sun over the water, the painting is situated between Hockney’s Californian swimming pool paintings and his pioneering double portraits.

The 1969 artwork, estimated to have a value between £7 million to £10 million, is being sold at Christie’s in London on October 13.

It is one of four paintings based on photographs taken during a trip to France with Hockney’s then partner Mr Schlesinger in autumn 1968.

A global exhibition of the piece will begin in Seoul in South Korea before touring to Hong Kong and New York.

The painting will then be exhibited in London from October 6 for the first time since it was unveiled during Hockney’s retrospective at the Whitechapel Gallery.

‘Early Morning, Sainte-Maxime’ was last seen at auction in New York in 1988.

Katharine Arnold, head of post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s Europe, said: “In David Hockney’s Early Morning, Sainte-Maxime, we see the artist expressing his feelings of deep contentment and ease as his relationship with Peter Schlesinger was blossoming.

“This exquisite scene captures the vibrant hues that the sun casts as it rises over the glistening water of the French Riviera.”

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