Name: Mo With Five Leaves
Brand: David Hockney
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of David Hockney's Mo With Five Leaves (signed) is estimated to be worth between £2,500 and £3,750. This etching print from 1971 has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 2%. This work has an auction history of 13 total sales since its entry to the market in April 2003. Over the past 12 months, the average selling price was £2,500, with a total of 1 artwork sold. In the last five years, the hammer price has varied from £1,767 in June 2023 to £3,800 in December 2021. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 75.

Meaning & Analysis

Mo With Five Leaves is a signed intaglio by British artist David Hockney is a part of the artist’s Portraits collection. Issued in 1971 in an edition of 75, this etching depicts Mo McDermott, a close friend of Hockney, known for making whimsical wood cut-out sculptures of animals and plants.

read more about Portraits

In this etching, Hockney’s sitter, close friend and artist Mo McDermott, is slightly slouched in the chair, staring wistfully into the distance, as five leaves are scattered around his feet. Mo McDermott would be the one to introduce Hockney to fashion designer Celia Birtwell as well as Ossie Clark. The group of creatives went on to form what is still described as “a Northern invasion of London” (Susannah Frankel). Whilst Mo’s facial features and hands are rendered in careful detail, his clothing and surroundings are executed in a simpler style, naturally drawing the focus to the sitter’s face. Mo With Five Leaves, like the other Portraits by David Hockney, offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s life, revealing who he surrounds himself with and cherishes.