Name: Mother/Brother
Brand: Tracey Emin
Rating: 4.9 (228 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Tracey Emin's Mother/Brother (signed) is estimated to be worth between £1,450 and £2,200. This etching print, created in 2010, has shown consistent value growth, with an impressive average annual growth rate of 74%. This work has an auction history of two sales, both occurring in 2020. In the past five years, the hammer price has ranged from £350 in October 2020 to £900 in February 2022. The average return to the seller is £531. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 100.

Auction Date

Auction House

Artwork

Hammer Price

Return to Seller

Buyer Paid

February 2022

Chiswick Auctions - United Kingdom

Mother/Brother - Signed Print

October 2020

Forum Auctions London - United Kingdom

Mother/Brother - Signed Print

Meaning & Analysis

This etching was executed by Tracey Emin in 2010 and forms part of our Nude Drawings collection of her work. Emin’s focal composition appears at the centre of a white paper background with wide margins, and is split into two halves. On the top half is the word “MOTHER”, written in Emin’s distinctive handwriting with the letter “R” printed backwards. Beneath this typographic half is an illustration of two reclining figures, one delineated with simple outlines, and the other completely filled in with black ink.

The work of Emin is confessional and autobiographical, offering viewers a glimpse into her personal life experiences. While most of her work tends to focus on her romantic relationships, Mother/Brother is a rare instance of Emin exploring her family ties in her work. After a troubled youth in Margate, Emin left her hometown for London at the age of fifteen. Despite the title of the work, Emin only writes out the word “mother” in the piece itself, perhaps telling of her allegedly unsteady relationship with her twin brother, Paul.