Mammoth Hockney attracts huge crowd

Altogether 5,146 people have filed in to see David Hockney’s Bigger Trees Near Warter since it opened last Friday.

The mammoth painting – measuring 40ft high by 13ft wide – attracted more than 300 to a preview night on Friday, including Hockney himself, with thousands more following in their path.

It was the first time the artist had seen the painting, which is made up of 50 canvasses, with its sides turned in as the gallery could not fit it in any other way.

Art curator Kirsten Simister said staff were delighted by the response.

“We thought we might get massive crowds but it’s a nice steady flow through to the exhibition. People are having a good experience of the work and not having to wait.”

To cope with the surge in visitors, the gallery has recruited 17 volunteers from the Young Friends of Ferens group, who are helping to manage access to the painting and appreciation of it.

The temporary exhibition space, at nearly 10ft high, was too small, so it has instead been placed in one of the permanent galleries, built in 1927, although even there a new wall has had to be built stretching up into the glass roof of gallery seven.

But even the most innovative arrangements could not meet the demands presented by the painting’s width.

Assistant curator of exhibitions Claire Longrigg said: “To have David Hockney himself at the gallery was fantastic and the visitor numbers exceeded our expectations. Everyone has been so enthusiastic about the exhibition and it’s great to know that it is such a popular picture.”

Bigger Trees Near Warter is on loan from Tate as part of a high profile regional programme, Art in Yorkshire - supported by Tate.

The painting will be on display at the Ferens until September 18.