Straw On The Left, Gold On The Right
Straw On The Left, Gold On The Right
Signed Print
David Hockney
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AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
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Medium: Etching
Edition size: 100
Year: 1969
Size: H 38cm x W 43cm
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 | Stair Galleries | United States | |||
| July 2021 | Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers | United States | |||
| May 2018 | Bonhams Los Angeles | United States | |||
| January 2018 | Wright | United States | |||
| October 2005 | Bonhams New Bond Street | United Kingdom |
Meaning & Analysis
Two haystacks sit side by side, casting long shadows into empty space. But all is not as it seems. As the title of the print indicates, on the left is straw and on the right is spun gold. The scene is based on the story of Rumpelstiltskin, in which a miller boasts to a king that his daughter is capable of spinning straw into gold. The king takes her to a room of straw and orders her to get to work. After many fruitless attempts the girl is in despair, at which point Rumpelstiltskin appears and completes the impossible task in exchange for her necklace.The story escalates of course but here Hockney has chosen to focus on the bare piles of straw and gold, stripping the scene of its context and drama. In this way the work reflects what Hockney loved about the way the Brothers Grimm. Commenting on his attraction to this subject he 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.”
