Legendary art found in Darlinghurst restaurant

A sketch from 1993 by British artist David Hockney has been discovered in a Sydney restaurant and could sell for over $10,000.

While searching through Instagram content for his restaurant’s page, Marc Polese, owner of Beppi’s in Darlinghurst, discovered the sketch in one of his many old autograph books that date back six decades.

The Hockney sketch was a significant find and according to one Sydney art appraiser could generate international interest.

Art expert David Hulme of Banziger Hulme Fine Art Consultants said the artwork could be worth $10,000 if not more. “It’s fairly extraordinary for a number of reasons … one being the fact that Hockney very rarely gives his art away for free.”

“The other reason is that it is quite an involved sketch with some really lovely detail and it is signed and very clearly dated,” Hume said.  

The piece, which appears to be a pen on paper sketch of the remains of a meal, was sketched in 1993 at Beppi’s during a visit to Australia to promote Hockney’s autobiography

That’s The Way I See It. 

Polese now keeps the autograph books in a safety deposit box, and says he has no plans to ‘hock off’ the sketch. He is considering displaying some of his impressive finds on the wall of the restaurant. Some of his finds include a sketch of a piano by Billy Joel and a self- portrait by actor Carol Burnett. 

“That might be something I’d consider,” said Polese.

“But there’s also something lovely about keeping them all together in the book so I’m not sure what we will do.” 

He also found many more doodles from other well-known artists as well. 

Among them a two-page drawing by iconic Aussie expressionist Russell Drysdale, as well as a doodle by figurative artist Charles Blackman and an elaborate signature and print (sticky-taped to a page) by the late Bulgarian art legend Christo.