Why is the Brothers Grimm series important?

Produced in an edition of 400 these are some of Hockney’s more accessible prints, offering an attractive entrypoint for new collectors. While more widespread than other series, they encapsulate Hockney's genius and, with their familiar subject and artful compositions, will remain timeless classics for many decades to come.

How do I buy a Brothers Grimm print?

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of buying work by David Hockney is by using us to reach a seller. MyArtBroker is a curated site, meaning we feature artists that our collectors say they want. You can find David Hockney art for sale here. You’ll need to create a free account to buy or sell with us.

How can I sell my Brothers Grimm print?

If you're looking to sell art by David Hockney click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.

Illustrations For Six Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm by David Hockney Background & Meaning

Meaning & Analysis

A self-proclaimed ‘Literary Artist,’ Hockney’s Illustrations for Six Fairytales from the Brothers Grimm are among some of his most popular etchings. P. Cavafy, David Hockney’s Illustrations For Six Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm are among the artist’s best known etchings. Conceived over three years and published in 1969 they showcase the artist’s ingenuity for composition, his charm as a draughtsman and his mastery of the medium of print.

As with the aforementioned series, the Brothers Grimm prints are characterised by their mostly blank backgrounds, which in 1969 presented a break from his painting style where an almost photographic naturalism was beginning to take hold. The fairytale subjects allowed him to work with a more playful style, and experiment with soft ground technique which meant he could make marks as if he were merely drawing on paper. He also made use of aquatint for shading which allowed him to bring darker and lighter tones into works such as The Lake and The Boy Hidden in an Egg.

The series is also characterised by extensive cross hatching which allowed him to achieve a deeper black, and is a technique Hockney is said to have picked up not just from Hogarth but also Giorgio Morandi’s prints. These various techniques are another way in which Hockney ‘quotes’ the masters that came before him. Whether it’s Matisse in a still life or Picasso in a portrait, his works of art are always looking back as well as out at the viewer, their artifice brought to the fore by conscious referencing and overt display of technique.

If you're looking to sell art by David Hockney click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.