10 Facts About David Hockney’s Six Fairytales From The Brothers Grimm

The tales Hockney decided to illustrate include ‘The Little Sea Hare’, ‘Fundevogel’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘The Boy Who Left Home to Learn Fear’, ‘Old Rinkrank’ and ‘Rumpelstilzchen’ In Hockney’s own words, these stories particularly compelled him:“They’re fascinating, the little stories, told in a very very simple, direct, straightforward language and style, it was this simplicity that attracted me. They cover quite a strange range of experience, from the magical to the moral.”

By using stark, monochrome imagery, Hockney’s depictions of The Brothers Grimm tales contrast with the traditional employment of beauty and colour, used in fairy tales to emphasise good and evil. The prominence of negative space, and portrayal of traditional characters as plain and unassuming, invites the viewer’s imagination and interpretations to roam freely.

Hockney’s style prior to his Six Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm was characterised by an almost photographic naturalism, seen in pieces such as Peter Getting Out Of Nick’s Pool (1966), with the fairy tale subject allowing him to explore a more playful, abstract style.

Soft-ground etching involves placing paper over a wax-coated plate and drawing on the paper with a pen or pencil; where the paper presses into the wax, the wax sticks to the underside of the paper. This technique meant Hockney could make marks as if he were merely drawing on paper, showcasing his excellent draughtsmanship and creating illustrations that suited the fairy tale subject matter.

Hockney also made use of aquatint for shading, a printmaking technique that produces tonal effects using acid to eat into the printing plate. This allowed him to bring darker and lighter tones to create depth and contrast in works such as The Lake (1969) and The Boy Hidden in an Egg (1969).

Cross-hatching was a technique Hockney adopted from masters like Hogarth and Giorgio Morandi, and was utilised to achieve richer blacks, seen in pieces such as The Sexton Stood Still As A Ghost (1970) and The Haunted Castle (1969).

Produced in an edition of 400, Hockney’s blending of familiar stories with his distinctive artistic style makes them timeless classics for collectors, as well as offering an attractive entrypoint for new collectors.

Hockney’s series focuses on the fairy tales’ enduring themes of fear, magic, and transformation, while allowing viewers to interpret much of the imagery themselves. This collection uniquely blends modern art with traditional storytelling, showcasing Hockney's deep passion for both visual and literary expression.

Hockney's etchings are known for their minimalist, almost whimsical style, with pieces such as Pleading For The Child (1969) contrasting with the often dark and complex nature of the Grimm Brothers' stories.

The etchings were published as a limited edition book by Petersburg Press in 1970, with accompanying text from the Brothers Grimm's tales.