Name: He Enquired After The Quality
Brand: David Hockney
Rating: 5 (233 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of David Hockney’s He Enquired After The Quality (signed) is estimated to be worth between £1,850 and £2,800. This intaglio print from 1966 has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 23%. This work has a steady auction history, having been sold 14 times at auction since its initial sale on 31st October 2005. Over the past 12 months, the average selling price was £1,898, across 2 total sales. In the last five years, the hammer price has ranged from £1,797 in January 2025 to £3,500 in September 2022. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 75.

Auction Date

Auction House

Location

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

January 2025

Bonhams Los Angeles

United States

December 2024

Bonhams Knightsbridge

United Kingdom

September 2023

Phillips London

United Kingdom

September 2022

Phillips London

United Kingdom

January 2022

Phillips London

United Kingdom

December 2021

Bonhams New Bond Street

United Kingdom

October 2019

Bernaerts Auctioneers

Belgium

Meaning & Analysis

A man stands at a counter examining what appears to be a collection of scarves or scraps of material while the vendor looks at him expectantly, his suit jacket draped over one shoulder. The figures are picked out in fine lines, their outlines and features recalling Hockney’s sketches, here reproduced in etching. Behind the two men another one stands; seen through a window, he is shown reading a newspaper. There is a tension in the air as if this scene were just a front for a proposition, an anonymous encounter that could become something less transactional and more sensual at any moment. Entitled He Enquired After The Quality, the print belongs to the series Illustrations For Fourteen Poems By C.P. Cavafy which consists of thirteen etchings to accompany the Greek poet’s work. Each shows a scene of – or moments before – an erotic encounter, depicting the casual nature of homosexual assignations from the perspective of both spectator and interested party. The series was published in 1967, the same year Britain finally decrimilised homosexuality. In light of this, it can be read as a celebration of gay love, as well as a testament to the decades, if not centuries, of stigma and concealment.

British-born artist David Hockney is a kaleidoscopic force in the art world. Born in 1937, Hockney's vibrant palette and innovative techniques have left an indelible mark on contemporary art. A pioneer of the British Pop Art movement in the 1960s, he seamlessly transitioned through various styles, from photo collages to vivid landscapes. Renowned for his exploration of light and space, Hockney's versatility extends to painting, printmaking, photography, and stage design. A captivating storyteller, his works often capture the essence of modern life with a playful yet profound touch. With a career spanning decades, Hockney remains an enduring visionary in the ever-evolving art world.