DAVID HOCKNEY B. 1937
DAVID HOCKNEY COMPLETE PRINTS. POSTER, 1968
Offset lithographic poster on wove paper.
Sheet: 83.8 x 59.1 cm; 33 x 23 1/4 in
Framed: 99 x 78 x 2.5 cm; 39 x 30 3/4 x 1 in
The poster shows Hockney's print 'Two Boys aged 23 or 24' from Cavafy Suite, 1966. The depiction of two men in bed captures the reproduces of one of Hockney's thirteen etchings from 'Illustrations for Fourteen Poems from C.P. Cavafy', translated by Stephen Spender and Nikos Stangos. This particular series marked a significant milestone for Hockney, representing his first major venture into etchings since 'A Rake's Progress' (1961-3). According to Tate Museum, these etchings were primarily conceived with an emphasis on line, showcasing some of the artist's most skillful line drawings up to that point.
Although Hockney had previously made allusions to the Greek poet Cavafy, this series marked his first profound artistic exploration inspired by the poet's works. Interestingly, Hockney did not work with the book of poems open beside him, nor did he envision each artwork as a direct visualization of a specific poem. Instead, his etchings served as visual interpretations of the emotions and themes found within Cavafy's homoerotic compositions.
