The Poets Talk by David Holt (1998)
A large original oil painting in bespoke frame, a very impressive and evocative piece
Author
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Printing Details
Painted in 1998, this is a large oil on canvas, framed (but not glazed). The bespoke frame measures 103.5 × 73 × 3.5cm, and painting measures 90.5 × 60.5cm. The frame, especially made by David Holt, has been painted in red and lilac tones to complement the painting, with the outer edge painted a darker grey color.
In this evocative work, David presents two monumental, shrouded figures locked in a dialogue that seems to vibrate through the very atmosphere. Rendered in a bruised palette of indigo and violet, the sky is punctuated by a singular, hollow celestial ring. Below, a thicket of fiery, vertical crimson strokes creates a restless, terrestrial heat.
The heavy, draped textures of the figures suggest the gravity of their exchange, while the artist’s own bespoke frame acts as a warm boundary, trapping the intensity of their discourse within the canvas. It is a profound meditation on the isolation and communion of the creative mind.
Signed, dated and title by David Holt to the reverse.
Provenance: This painting comes directly from the artist's estate, and the work is offered with full provenance.
David Holt (1928–2014). Born in Hythe, Kent. Painter and Lecturer in Art. After National Service, he trained at the Canterbury School of Art, the Hammersmith School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools where he was awarded a medal for drawing and the Knapping Prize. He joined a studio-workshop with Gerald Holtom (designer of the CND symbol) in 1958 where he designed and produced proscenium curtains for schools. In 1958 he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship and travelled across America, producing many drawings and prints of the Pueblo Indians and their life-dance in Santa Fe in New Mexico, where he also worked with artist Agnes Sims. He returned to England in 1960 and continued to paint and work on large textile appliques for schools, churches, and private houses including Spade House in Kent, the former home of H G Wells.
He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1962, and in 1964 was commissioned to design and make a large textile applique 'Christ in Majesty' which still hangs in the chapel of Christ Church College in Canterbury.
He was Head of Art at Canterbury Christ Church University until his retirement in 1995. He exhibited widely in the UK and the States and worked with many art societies and summer schools across East Kent.
His work can be found in both private and public collections throughout the UK and America, including the Yale Centre for British Art. His painting "Coastal Watcher" was recently used for the dustwrapper on Modernism and Memory: Rhoda Pritzker and the Art of Collecting (Yale University Press, 2016).
Condition
The painting is in very good condition, with one small area of craquelure but this is only visible on close inspection and doesn't detract from the overall impact of the painting. The frame is also in very good condition.
Due to weight and size, postage is restricted to the UK though I am happy to investigate overseas mailing. Collection is available from Hythe, Kent (CT21). Please give at least 24 hours notice. [Location: Store].
Books are currently zero-rated for duty (as of January 2026), so the price shown is the price you pay.
Price
£400.00
