Choice: Visual Art: David Hockney: Grimm's Fairy Tales

Dominic Cavendish
Tuesday 12 May 1998 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Margrove Heritage Centre, Margrove Park, Boosbeck (01287 610368)

Hockney made these 39 etchings between May and November 1969, before he settled in California and lost it, and it's a project that the artist is said to look back on as one of his major successes. After turning to etching at the beginning of the Sixties (because he had run out of painting materials), Hockney followed his Hogarthian A Rake's Progress and illustrations to the poems of CP Cavafy with an interpretation of the folk tales collected by the brothers Grimm at the beginning of the 19th century. Choosing six stories (out of 220) that fired his imagination, he strove to suggest a mood, rather than capture particular events, making visual references to the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Breughel, Bosch and Uccello. Some of the tales will be familiar, such as Rapunzel and Rumpelstilzchen, but Old Rink Rank, Fundevogel and the Little Sea Hare get their cobwebs blown away. A little beauty of a Hayward touring show, enjoying its fifth year on the road.

Dominic Cavendish

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in