‘The Older Rapunzel’ (1969) by David Hockney
The RWA’s main summer exhibition shows 39 etchings by David Hockney, one of the great names in modern British art. They were drawn directly on copper plate in 1969, and are perfect examples of Hockney’s early style: his preoccupation with light, a certain economy of technique, and especially his frank realism.
“The stories really are quite mad, when you think of it,” David Hockney comments on ‘Rapunzel’. “In modern times, it’s like a couple moving into a house, and next door they see this lettuce growing: the wife develops this craving for the lettuce… the old woman next door says ‘Well, you can have this lettuce if you give me your child,’ and they agree to it.”
Hockney’s etchings, created before his move to America in the 1970s, reveal a fascinating juxtaposition between the fantastical and the mundane. They resonate with earthy realism, indicative of his Yorkshire upbringing. But look too for the influence of the Old Masters: etchings incorporate images from painters including Carpaccio, Bosch, Breughel and even Leonardo da Vinci.
‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ is perfectly timed for the school summer holidays, an ideal summer exhibition for families and kids. But also for the child in all of us.
Jonathan Camp
Royal West Of England Academy, Queen’s Road, Bristol, BS8 1PX
Daily 10am to 5.30pm, Sun 2pm to 5pm, £4, £2.50 concs, children free. Artist-lead tours on selected dates. www.hockneypictures.com
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