Two Boys Aged 23 Or 24
Two Boys Aged 23 Or 24
Signed Print
David Hockney
£4,200-£6,500
$8,500-$13,500 Value Indicator
$8,000-$12,000 Value Indicator
¥40,000-¥60,000 Value Indicator
€5,000-€7,500 Value Indicator
$45,000-$70,000 Value Indicator
¥820,000-¥1,280,000 Value Indicator
$5,500-$8,500 Value Indicator
AAGR (5 years) 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: Intaglio
Edition size: 75
Year: 1966
Size: H 35cm x W 22cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2025 | Rosebery's Fine Art Auctioneers | United Kingdom | |||
| May 2023 | Stockholms Auction House | Sweden | |||
| June 2019 | Lempertz, Cologne | Germany | |||
| June 2015 | AAG: Arts & Antiques Group | Netherlands | |||
| December 2013 | Christie's London | United Kingdom | |||
| November 2011 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| November 2009 | Bonhams San Francisco | United States |
Meaning & Analysis
Perhaps the most famous print form Hockney’s celebrated series Illustrations For Fourteen Poems By C.P. CavafyTwo Boys Aged 23 Or 24 sees the artist returning to a dominant subject in this portfolio, that of two men lying naked in bed. In contrast to works such as The Beginning and In Despair, however, here the men are shown lying on their fronts, their heads resting on the pillow, perhaps engaged in an intimate post coital moment, perhaps sleeping. Unlike in other works here the sheets are patterned with dark rings, suggesting lifebuoys floating on a wavy sea. They seem unaware of being watched, presenting a contrast to other works in which the figures appear stiffly posed under the artist’s gaze. As with other works the background is kept to a minimum, the wall almost bare except for an area of shadow rendered in crosshatched marks. Overtly intimate, the work celebrates queer love by depicting a moment of tenderness and presents a stark contrast to Cavafy’s poem, which it accompanies, in which homosexual desire was hidden behind veiled references because of its illicit nature. Working in 1967 Hockney was able to bring this desire to the surface and put this pair of lovers centre stage.
