The Older Rapunzel
Signed Print

A woman is shown in profile, her face resolutely fixed on something hidden from the viewer. Her hair is long, reaching all the way to the floor to become a snakelike coil or an elaborate bridal veil. This is of course Rapunzel, the protagonist of the eponymous fairy tale in which a young maiden is locked in a tower by a sorceress until a prince comes by one day and uses her long hair to climb up and visit her. In this print however Hockney adds another layer of reference by placing a lily in the ‘older’ Rapunzel’s hands. This lily is reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation scene in which the Angel Gabriel presents the Virgin Mary with the lily that becomes her attribute, a symbol of her purity. While Hockney praised the ‘simplicity’ of the stories he chose for his Illustrations For Six Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm, he could not resist adding a layer of complexity which is complemented by the elegance of the etching itself. The background is made of a fine grid, and he represents the drapery and shadows with exquisite detail. The series was published as an edition of 100 and has since been turned into a bestselling book, making this one of Hockney’s most popular print portfolios.