Name: The Beginning
Brand: David Hockney
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of David Hockney's The Beginning (signed) is estimated to be worth between £2,150 and £3,250. This etching print, created in 1966, has shown consistent value growth, with an impressive average annual growth rate of 10%. This work has an auction history of seven total sales since its entry to the market in April 2013. In the past 12 months, the hammer price has ranged from £900 in May 2021 to £2,717 in November 2023. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 75.

Meaning & Analysis

Following a dominant theme in Hockney’s Illustrations For Fourteen Poems By C.P. Cavafy, The Beginning shows two youths in bed, naked but for the rumpled sheets covering their legs. The men appear to be the same figures from In The Dull Village and One Night, one distinguishable for his fair curly hair and the other for his dark mop. Here they are shown half sat up in bed, returning the gaze of the artist and viewer. Their bodies appear stiff as if they have been asked to pose and yet the intimacy and immediacy of their erotic encounter lingers. The background, as with so many of the prints in this series, is blank, offering no insight into the setting and pulling all the focus onto the bed with its many creases which are echoed in the body hair of the young men. Unapologetic in their nudity and their desire, the men offer a stark contrast to the original subject of the series, the Greek poet C.P. Cavafy’s poems, which were written at the turn of the 20th century when this desire was still illicit. In Hockney’s 1967 version queer love is celebrated in the open rather than hidden behind suggestion, as in Cavafy’s verses, reflecting the changing attitudes of the times.

British-born artist David Hockney is a kaleidoscopic force in the art world. Born in 1937, Hockney's vibrant palette and innovative techniques have left an indelible mark on contemporary art. A pioneer of the British Pop Art movement in the 1960s, he seamlessly transitioned through various styles, from photo collages to vivid landscapes. Renowned for his exploration of light and space, Hockney's versatility extends to painting, printmaking, photography, and stage design. A captivating storyteller, his works often capture the essence of modern life with a playful yet profound touch. With a career spanning decades, Hockney remains an enduring visionary in the ever-evolving art world.