The Glass Mountain Shattered
The Glass Mountain Shattered
Signed Print
David Hockney
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Medium: Etching
Edition size: 100
Year: 1969
Size: H 23cm x W 26cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Location | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2021 | Christie's London | United Kingdom | |||
| September 2020 | Sotheby's Online | United Kingdom | |||
| March 2020 | Sotheby's Online | United Kingdom | |||
| March 2020 | Sotheby's Online | United Kingdom | |||
| April 2011 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom | |||
| September 2010 | Bonhams Knightsbridge | United Kingdom | |||
| February 2008 | Christie's London | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
The Glass Mountain Shattered by British artist, David Hockney, is a signed etching produced in 1969. Released in an edition of 100, this print is part of the artist's series, Illustrations For Six Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm.
Taken from the fairy tale of ‘Old Rinkrank’, this scene depicts a mountain made of glass, rising up in the landscape and refracting the image of the tree behind it. The rest of the scene is bare, enhancing the artificiality of the mountain which is covered in light lines to denote its transparency, recalling cartoon depictions of glass. The mountain has been shattered on one side and fragments of glass appear like chunks of ice on the ground around it.
A strange scene, this mountain belongs in the story of Old Rinkrank, a fairytale in which a princess becomes imprisoned in a glass mountain built by her father the king. Captured by Old Rinkrank she is forced to become his servant until one day she cleverly traps him and manages to escape, shattering the mountain in the process.
The story is one of six from the celebrated Brothers Grimm collection which David Hockney illustrated for his 1969 portfolio. Speaking of his interest in these fairy tales, Hockney said, “They're fascinating, the little stories, told in a very very simple, direct, straightforward language and style, it was this simplicity that attracted me. They cover quite a strange range of experience, from the magical to the moral.” Here the simplicity is laid bare in spare and beautiful composition, as he captures the improbability of a glass mountain beautifully through just a handful of lines.
