Name: Dog Etching No. 8
Brand: David Hockney
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of David Hockney’s Dog Etching No. 8 (signed) is estimated to be worth between £24,000 to £35,000. This etching print, created in 1998, is a rare artwork with an auction history of two sales since its entry to the market on 11th May 2009. This is a sought-after piece and a valuable addition to any art collection. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 35.

Meaning & Analysis

As with the other works in the Dogs series of 1998, here Hockney has chosen to depict one of his dachshunds in monochrome, using just black ink to convey the fur and features of his beloved pet. He has also chosen again to use a cushion to frame the composition and add an extra layer of tenderness and comfort to the portrait. We are shown the dog’s face in slight profile as he sleeps, peacefully unaware of his role as the sitter, with his body curled up in a soft dark mound. By a trick of perspective the dog appears much more compact than we would expect from a sausage dog, giving him the air of being a puppy rather than a full grown dog. Hockney started drawing dogs in 1987 when he adopted his first pair of dachshunds. What began as a casual drawing exercise soon became a series of touching portraits that are now an important part of his oeuvre. In 1995 Hockney took this practice one step further and began painting his dogs, in reaction to the grief he felt over the death of Henry Geldzahler and many other close friends he lost to the AIDS crisis of the preceding years. Speaking of this turn in his work Hockney said, “I wanted desperately to paint something loving. … I felt such a loss of love I wanted to deal with it in some way.”