Name: Portrait Of Cavafy In Alexandria
Brand: David Hockney
Rating: 5 (233 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of David Hockney’s Portrait Of Cavafy In Alexandria (signed) is estimated to be worth between £1,550 and £2,300. Over the past five years, the hammer price ranges from £1,619 in April 2023 to £3,000 in January 2022. This intaglio print, created in 1966, has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 6%. This work has an auction history of 9 total sales since its entry to the market in October 2002. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 75.

Auction Date

Auction House

Location

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

April 2023

Leonard Joel, Melbourne

Australia

January 2022

Phillips London

United Kingdom

May 2021

Hall's Fine Art

United Kingdom

October 2018

Phillips New York

United States

November 2017

Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers

United States

February 2012

Christie's London

United Kingdom

May 2005

Christie's London

United Kingdom

Meaning & Analysis

Portrait Of Cavafy In Alexandria is a signed etching by David Hockney, dating to 1966. Published as an edition of 75 the work forms part of the artist’s Illustrations For Fourteen Poems By C.P. Cavafy series.

Showing a man in a suit and tie, wearing round glasses, against a background of modernist buildings, a series of arches and palm trees, this etching shows the elebrated Greek poet himself. Stiffly posed the work derives from a photograph Hockney found of Cavafy, and while the composition is striking, he was usually preferred working from life, as “Things like weight and volume are very hard to get from a photograph. You don't get the information you need to be able to do the line”.

Here Hockney’s line is as confident and sure as his sketches, however the work does lack some of the spontaneity of his representations of friends and lovers in this series and others. The figure of Cavafy is placed almost awkwardly in the foreground, as if pressed up against the edge of the frame.

The series of prints was published in 1967 along with a new translation of Cavafy's work and they were intended to accompany rather than illustrate the poet’s work. In this way some present a stark contrast to the poems which conceal rather than display their desire which was then considered illicit. While queerness was still not as tolerated as it is now, in 1967 Hockney had the benefit of publishing in a year when homosexuality had finally been legalised by the British government.

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.