What made Richard Hamilton so different, so appealing?

Richard Hamilton by David Hockney, 1971. © David Hockney

As this blog is named after the title of one of Richard Hamilton's artworks (this one), it seems apt to mention a new display at the National Portrait Gallery in London that pays tribute to the artist, who died last September.

The show features ten portraits of Hamilton, all drawn from the NPG's collection. The artworks span 30 years of his life, with the earliest a photograph taken by Lord Snowdon in 1963, when Hamilton first visited America. Shown here are four images from the show, including David Hockney's drawing of Hamilton from 1971.

Richard Hamilton by Jorge Lewinski, 1964. © The Lewinski Archive at Chatsworth

Hamilton first began making art in the 50s and is often cited as one of the 'fathers' of Pop Art. He was a huge influence on generations of artists, designers and even musicians, as this excellent obituary by Rick Poyner on Design Observer reveals.

Richard Hamilton by Caroline Djanogly, 1996. © Carolyn Djanogly

Richard Hamilton by Tino Tedaldi, 1980. © Tino Tedaldi

Richard Hamilton: Portraits of the Artist is on show at the National Portrait Gallery in London until May 14. More info is at npg.org.uk.