David Hockney Rue de Seine (M.C.A.T. 111) For Sale

Rue de Seine is an etching created by David Hockney in 1972. The black and white etching depicts the interior of a cosy Parisian apartment, looking out towards the street, presumably the titular Rue de Seine. Central to the composition is the balcony doors, framed by thick fabric curtains. Despite the medium of etching, Hockney has masterfully created depth within the print. Past the doors he has delicately etched the wrought-iron balcony embellishments, behind which he has etched the iconic Parisian architecture. The building is conveyed in less detail to allude to a sense of depth, suggesting it is further away than, for example, the tulips. At the forefront of the composition is a vase filled with tulips, as they teeter gently out the vase towards the floor. The vase is decorated with goldfish, making the scene reminiscent of a Matisse interior, such as Interior with a Goldfish Bowl (1914). Within Matisse’s painted interior scene, we similarly see out the window, towards the Haussmann architecture of the streets of Paris. This is not the first time Hockney has referenced Matisse within his work, for example in the intaglio print My Pool and Terrace (1983), whose squiggly lines and simplistic outlines of shapes echo that of Matisse’s famous depictions of the south of France. Despite the lack of colour within the print, David Hockney masterfully captures the balance of light within the composition. This captures the impressions of colour within the interior scene, we can imagine the dark coloured curtains, the bright pink hues of the tulips, and the blue sky of Paris.

Up to this period, Hockney was most known for his depictions of sun-drenched scenes of Los Angeles, after his notable move from dreary post-war London in 1964. This print was created in the aftermath of Hockney-s ex-lover Peter Schlesinger moving out of Powis Terrace, so many of Hockney’s works from this period are imbued with a feeling of isolation. There is a real sense of absence within this print, due to the lack of figures during a period where Hockney’s work was often portrait-based. Rue de Seine was printed the same year as the creation of Hockney’s Portrait Of An Artist (Pool With Two Figures), which has arguably become his most famous piece. There is a similar photographic style in this work, but the most notable difference is the subject matter between this piece and the rest of his oeuvre within this decade. However, although this print marks a period of Hockney experimenting with different styles and mediums, it does recall other of Hockney’s prints around this period, such as Home (1969), which similarly depicts an interior scene complete with a window view, and French Shop (1971) which also depicts a French subject matter. However, Rue de Seine still stands out due to Hockney’s use of light and dark, as he uses etchings of shadows to further create depth and realism.

Buy Rue de Seine

Andipa Editions, as part of Andipa, have been at the forefront of the Hockney market for over 20 years. To enquire about buying Rue de Seine by David Hockney, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371.

Sell David Hockney Rue de Seine

With a global network of active buyers, Andipa Editions are the place to sell your Rue de Seine print. Straight-forward and stress-free, we manage the process on your behalf and help to maximise your return. For a complimentary valuation of your Rue de Seine print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371. Explore our collection of David Hockney original prints for sale.