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| 'No-talents': Artist RB Kitaj takes revenge on critics from beyond the grave | 'No-talents': Artist RB Kitaj takes revenge on critics from beyond the grave |
| (25 days later) | |
| David Hockney has condemned “vicious” attacks by art critics on his late friend and fellow artist RB Kitaj, who is taking revenge on them from beyond the grave in a memoir to be published in September. | David Hockney has condemned “vicious” attacks by art critics on his late friend and fellow artist RB Kitaj, who is taking revenge on them from beyond the grave in a memoir to be published in September. |
| The memoir was found among Kitaj’s possessions after his death in 2007 and, in the preface, Hockney expresses dismay over the critics’ treatment of his lifelong friend, who was born in the US. | The memoir was found among Kitaj’s possessions after his death in 2007 and, in the preface, Hockney expresses dismay over the critics’ treatment of his lifelong friend, who was born in the US. |
| Hockney writes that the “attacks were vicious, appalling”, and questions how newspapers could publish them. | Hockney writes that the “attacks were vicious, appalling”, and questions how newspapers could publish them. |
| Kitaj received the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale in 1995, and his admirers included the influential critic Robert Hughes, who wrote that he “draws better than almost anyone else alive”. | Kitaj received the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale in 1995, and his admirers included the influential critic Robert Hughes, who wrote that he “draws better than almost anyone else alive”. |
| But in 1994, his major Tate retrospective was savaged by a number of British critics. | But in 1994, his major Tate retrospective was savaged by a number of British critics. |
| They included Brian Sewell, who described Kitaj as “unworthy of a footnote in the history of figurative art”. | They included Brian Sewell, who described Kitaj as “unworthy of a footnote in the history of figurative art”. |
| Shortly afterwards, Kitaj’s wife, Sandra Fisher, who was also an artist, died suddenly aged 46 from an aneurysm. He believed that the pain inflicted by his critics took a toll on her health. Embittered, Kitaj returned to the US, where he later killed himself aged 74. | Shortly afterwards, Kitaj’s wife, Sandra Fisher, who was also an artist, died suddenly aged 46 from an aneurysm. He believed that the pain inflicted by his critics took a toll on her health. Embittered, Kitaj returned to the US, where he later killed himself aged 74. |
| Hockney writes that Kitaj was affected by criticism and “Sandra was probably more pained by the critics than he was”. | Hockney writes that Kitaj was affected by criticism and “Sandra was probably more pained by the critics than he was”. |
| The two men struck up a friendship as students at the Royal College of Art in London. Both went on to be become celebrated artists. Elected Royal Academicians, their work was acquired by institutions such as the Tate. | The two men struck up a friendship as students at the Royal College of Art in London. Both went on to be become celebrated artists. Elected Royal Academicians, their work was acquired by institutions such as the Tate. |
| In his preface, Hockney recalls that Kitaj “drew very well” and “was a great influence on me”. | In his preface, Hockney recalls that Kitaj “drew very well” and “was a great influence on me”. |
| In his wide-ranging autobiography, RB Kitaj: Confessions of an Old Jewish Painter, Kitaj ridicules his critics as the “living dead” and “no-talents”, and pours scorn on their “sneering”. | In his wide-ranging autobiography, RB Kitaj: Confessions of an Old Jewish Painter, Kitaj ridicules his critics as the “living dead” and “no-talents”, and pours scorn on their “sneering”. |
| It includes his rise and fall on the British art scene and war with critics, when “my better, more beautiful half died under enemy fire”, Kitaj writes. | It includes his rise and fall on the British art scene and war with critics, when “my better, more beautiful half died under enemy fire”, Kitaj writes. |
| He refers to the novelist Émile Zola taking up the cause of Alfred Dreyfus’s wrongful conviction in writing history’s most famous open letter, J’accuse…! | He refers to the novelist Émile Zola taking up the cause of Alfred Dreyfus’s wrongful conviction in writing history’s most famous open letter, J’accuse…! |
| Kitaj writes: “I accuse those who wrote violent personal attacks on me and my pictures of being inhumane reactionaries at best and, in some cases, sick men.” | Kitaj writes: “I accuse those who wrote violent personal attacks on me and my pictures of being inhumane reactionaries at best and, in some cases, sick men.” |
| Mocking Sewell and the London Evening Standard, he writes: “The London Low Standard’s resident reviewer loves to say ‘the wretched Hockney and Kitaj’ as often as he can … This reviewer so despises his own warped nature that he perceives … no virtue in anyone else. I accuse the living dead of envy in the first degree.” | Mocking Sewell and the London Evening Standard, he writes: “The London Low Standard’s resident reviewer loves to say ‘the wretched Hockney and Kitaj’ as often as he can … This reviewer so despises his own warped nature that he perceives … no virtue in anyone else. I accuse the living dead of envy in the first degree.” |
| In one passage, he writes: “I will always wonder why museums treat me so well, with constant purchases and retrospectives which are ongoing honours, while critical snipers so often shoot to kill.” | In one passage, he writes: “I will always wonder why museums treat me so well, with constant purchases and retrospectives which are ongoing honours, while critical snipers so often shoot to kill.” |
| He refers to a “lynch mob” of critics “in all their arrière-garde inhumanity” and recalls a “thug in the Guardian” who reviewed the Tate show with “venom”. Long afterwards, in 2010, Jonathan Jones wrote in the Guardian: “I can’t help but be angry at those critics. Why destroy an artist so cruelly? Kitaj stood for a sense of history, a belief in drawing and an intelligent modernism.” | He refers to a “lynch mob” of critics “in all their arrière-garde inhumanity” and recalls a “thug in the Guardian” who reviewed the Tate show with “venom”. Long afterwards, in 2010, Jonathan Jones wrote in the Guardian: “I can’t help but be angry at those critics. Why destroy an artist so cruelly? Kitaj stood for a sense of history, a belief in drawing and an intelligent modernism.” |
| The memoir’s editor, Eckhart Gillen, discovered the manuscript, describing it as “an unhoped-for autobiographical wellspring” from an important artist. | The memoir’s editor, Eckhart Gillen, discovered the manuscript, describing it as “an unhoped-for autobiographical wellspring” from an important artist. |
| He told the Guardian that for the first time, the full “drama” of Kitaj’s Tate war is revealed: “He was very hurt by that. He left England after 40 years.” | He told the Guardian that for the first time, the full “drama” of Kitaj’s Tate war is revealed: “He was very hurt by that. He left England after 40 years.” |