Celia Smoking
Celia Smoking
Signed Print
David Hockney
£5,500-£8,500Value
Indicator
$10,500-$16,000 Value Indicator
$9,500-$14,500 Value Indicator
¥50,000-¥80,000 Value Indicator
€6,500-€10,000 Value Indicator
$50,000-$80,000 Value Indicator
¥1,020,000-¥1,580,000 Value Indicator
$7,000-$11,000 Value Indicator
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
There aren’t enough data points on this work for a comprehensive result. Please speak to a specialist by making an enquiry.
Medium: Lithograph
Format: Signed Print
Year: 1973
Size: H 99cm x W 72cm
Edition size: 70
Signed: Yes
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Track auction value trend
David Hockney's "Celia Smoking", a signed lithograph from 1973, is estimated to be worth £5,500 to £8,500. This piece of art has been sold at auction 8 times since its initial sale in June 2009. Over the last five years, the hammer price has ranged from £4,960 in March 2019 to £9,425 in September 2022, reflecting an average annual growth rate of -9%. The artwork has been sold in two different countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Notably, over the past 12 months, the average sales price has been £5,387. The edition size of "Celia Smoking" is limited to 70, making it a valuable addition to any collection.
Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2023 | Bonhams Los Angeles - United States | Celia Smoking - Signed Print | |||
| September 2022 | Phillips London - United Kingdom | Celia Smoking - Signed Print | |||
| March 2019 | Christie's London - United Kingdom | Celia Smoking - Signed Print | |||
| July 2013 | Bonhams New Bond Street - United Kingdom | Celia Smoking - Signed Print | |||
| October 2011 | Christie's New York - United States | Celia Smoking - Signed Print | |||
| March 2010 | Christie's London - United Kingdom | Celia Smoking - Signed Print | |||
| October 2009 | Christie's London - United Kingdom | Celia Smoking - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
This detailed lithograph shows just the head and shoulders of Celia Birtwell, from an elevated perspective, the cigarette of the title left out of the composition. Her eyes are downcast and seemingly unaware of the artist’s presence, her face softly shadowed in grey while her mop of curls is piled in a beautifully disheveled arrangement on top of her head, cascading down like water around her features. She sits slightly hunched forward, as if in awkward proximity to the artist and yet there is a feeling of intimacy, or at least tension between the two. Hockney has lightly sketched in the pattern of her dress but, unlike in other portraits of Birtwell, he bestows more attention on her head, and while her sense of style is somewhat lost, her classic beauty is undeniable. It is in this beauty that we find the great love Hockney feels for his close friend, of whom he has said, “Celia has … a very rare face with lots of things in it which appeal to me. It shows aspects of her, like her intuitive knowledge and her kindness, which I think is the greatest virtue. To me she’s such a special person.”
