• DAVID HOCKNEY
  • Pretty Tulips, 1969
    Lithograph on Crisbrook handmade paper
    72.5cm x 50.6cm
    Edition of 200

    Pretty Tulips, 1969

    Pretty Tulips, 1969 is a lithograph print from an edition release of 200. Hockney has depicted flowers throughout his career, a motif that has remained constant in his lithographs, paintings and digital drawings.
     
    This print, with it's delicate colours and minimalist composition, was also recreated as a still life and photographed by Hockney later in the 1970s. The wilting tulips and simple shading of the vase presents a broadly peaceful visage, but the details present in the reflection of the object and the mirroring of form in the lines of the vase and in the sectioning of the image elevate the complexitity of the piece. The overall artwork, with its restrained use of colour and refined shapes, captures the grace of tulips while emphasising the aesthetic potential of lithography to convey beauty in simplicity. 

  • "I believe that the very process of looking can make a thing beautiful"

     

    - David Hockney

    Another striking aspect of Pretty Tulips is Hockney's use of negative space, which allows the delicate lines and colors of the tulips and vase to stand out with clarity. The surrounding blank space gives the composition an airy, almost serene quality, drawing attention to the elegance of each individual element. This openness also invites viewers to focus on the subtle details—the gentle curve of the stems, the soft variations in the petals, and the intricate reflection. Through this minimalistic approach, Hockney emphasizes the quiet beauty of the tulips, showing that simplicity can be as impactful as complexity in evoking an emotional response.

  • Related Works

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      Yosemite No.23, 2010
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    • David Hockney, Striped Mug , 2010

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      Striped Mug , 2010
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    • David Hockney, Glass Vase, Jug, and Wheat, 2020

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      Glass Vase, Jug, and Wheat, 2020
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