Name: The Pot Boiling
Brand: David Hockney
Rating: 5 (232 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of David Hockney’s The Pot Boiling, an etching from 1969, is estimated to be worth between £5,000 and £7,500. This artwork, signed by the artist, has an auction history of two sales since its initial sale on 29th November 2016. The average annual growth rate of this work is 1%. This is a rare artwork, and there have been no sales in the last 12 months. Over the past five years, the hammer price has ranged from £2,116 in August 2017 to £2,116 in August 2017. The average return to the seller over the past five years is £3,256. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 100.

Auction Date

Auction House

Location

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

March 2021

Sotheby's Online

United Kingdom

November 2016

Shapiro Auctioneers

Australia

Meaning & Analysis

A large cylinder is filled with water and floats in a space made of dark cross hatched marks. Bubbles rise to the surface of the water to suggest it is boiling but this pot has no handle and there is no fire beneath it. These incongruous details add to the feeling of the uncanny that pervades the empty scene. With the knowledge that it relates to a dark tale from the Brothers Grimm, ‘Fundevogel’, the scene becomes foreboding. Fundevogel, or foundling bird, relates the tale of a forester who comes across a foundling in a bird's nest while out walking with his daughter. The girl becomes close to the boy but one day the cook threatens to put him in her large pot and boil him to death so they can eat him. The girl and the foundling run away and transform themselves into a series of objects in order to escape the cooks' servants until eventually they trump her and save themselves. Hockney published his series Illustrations For Six Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm in 1969 as an edition of 100. Drawn to the ‘simplicity’ of the tales as well as their combination of ‘the magical and the moral’, they became the perfect subject to display his mastery of the medium of etching.

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.