David Hockney: Ceramic cat gifted by hitchhiking art student to be sold

Peter Richards, pictured with the ceramic cat David Hockey gifted to him and his wife, received the present for their generosity 68 years ago

A David Hockney ceramic cat gifted to strangers who gave the artist shelter as a student is set to fetch tens of thousands of pounds at auction.

Peter Richards and wife Wendy welcomed in two sodden hitchhikers on their way to London in 1955.

The Bradford School of Art students, who dried off at their home near the A1 in Bedfordshire, turned out to be Hockney and friend Norman Stevens.

The ceramic cat, given to the couple as a thank you, will be sold in October.

Stacey's Auctioneers said the two young men had unsuccessfully sought shelter under the eaves of the cottage during a storm, with Mrs Richards making them tea and drying their clothes.

Hockney later gave them a depiction of their black and white cat "as a reward for their kindness" and maintained a long friendship with the couple, the auction house added.

The now world-famous artist made six ceramic cats, with the one given to the Richards family 68 years ago carrying an estimate of between £30-40,000.

However, one of Hockney's other ceramic felines sold for £94,000 in June.

The black and white ceramic cat may well reach sums nearing six figures, auctioneers say

David Hockney, now a world-famous artist, was a young art student from Bradford when he unexpectedly met the Richards family

"It's good karma, it's a wonderful story," said Dr David MacGregor, a valuer at Stacey's.

"Mr Richards, who is now 93, came to our auction house to have a watch valued and then got talking to our directors.

"He said he'd got this Hockney cat."

Dr MacGregor said Mr Richards, who now lives in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, had "amazing recollections" of later visits from the artist, including "coming to a party at his house drinking cider".

"He's got a wonderful archive of Christmas and greetings cards, drawings of the cat, all from David Hockney's time in Bradford," the valuer said.

David Hockney wrote to the Richards family after his unexpected visit to their home and promised them the cat as a gift

A letter sent by Hockney from his then Bradford address to the Richards family reads: "I really don't know what to do with the cat.

"The postman said unless it's really well packed in plenty of straw and sawdust it would be risky. I think we'll wait and bring down the cat and plates personally."

Stevens also became a well-known artist, specialising in printmaking and painting, and died aged 51 in 1988.

The auctioneers said Mr Richards had now decided to sell the cat "to benefit the younger members of his family".

The sale is set to take place on 23 October in Chelmsford, Essex.

David Hockney

One of David Hockney's best known paintings is A Bigger Splash (1967)

• Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire in 1937

• Rose to fame as part of the Pop Art movement in the 1960s

• Best-known work is probably his swimming pool painting A Bigger Splash, created when he was living in California

• Portrait work includes paintings of his parents, dancer Wayne Sleep and singer Harry Styles

• Recent work includes his countryside images of his native Yorkshire, painted in the Bridlington area

Source: Tate Kids