Patrick Procktor

The present work is inscribed to 'Peter and Kirsten, Odin’s' - referencing Peter Langan and Kirsten Benson. James and Kirsten set up Odin's in Marylebone in the 1960s. When James was killed in 1966 in a car accident, Kirsten was left with her two young children and running the restaurant. Peter Langan who lived nearby and has been a frequent visitor. Upon discovering its predicament, Peter offered to become a partner in the business with Kirsten. He subsequently bought out her share in 1968 and opened a larger premise in 1973. The restaurant became renowned for its good and decor, frequented by the likes of Patrick Procktor and David Hockney, and setting the scene for the famous Langan's Brasserie which Peter established in the late 1970s. Hockney depicted a similarly themed work, Still life with flowers and Lobster at Odin’s restaurant (circa 1980, sold at Christie’s in 2021).

Susan Langan, Peter's wife, recalled how Procktor and Hockney: 'gave it [Odin's] a tremendous cachet of an extraordinarily valuable sort, which gave the whole business a particular edge compared to the other businesses around.'