Sculpture David Hockney gave to couple who sheltered him in storm 68 years ago fetches over £100,000

A sculpture David Hockney gave to a couple who sheltered him during a storm 68 years ago has fetched over £100,000 at auction.

The artist gifted a rare ceramic model to Peter Richards and his wife after they offered him and Norman Stevens, who had been hitchhiking to London to visit exhibitions, sanctuary from bad weather at their Bedfordshire cottage in 1955.

The cat sculpture, believed to be Hockney’s first ceramic creation, fetched £111,875 at Stacey’s Auctioneers & Valuers.

“This was a fantastic result for the vendor who was present in the room and was auctioning the Hockney items to benefit his grandchildren,” Mark Stacey, from the auction house, said.