Etching is the Subject

1976/1977

David Hockney

Associated Names
David Hockney
Artist, British, 1937 - 2026
The image features abstract shapes and lines. A horizontal red paintbrush line sprawls across the top. Straight and curved lines on the left resemble a curtain or drapery. Faint green lines in the upper right corner suggest a bottle and spilled liquid. Dark blue hatched lines and spirals center the image like a dense brushstroke. An outlined face within a red rectangular frame is beside the dark blue cluster. The image conveys a sense of organized chaos with artistic tools and subjects in an abstract tableau.
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Artwork overview

Associated Artworks

See all 20 artworks
The artwork features a vertical composition with a predominantly white background. At the top, a stylized representation of a guitar is sketched in blue, with abstract shapes suggesting the body and strings. Below the guitar, the text "THE BLUE GUITAR" is centered, written in alternating blue and red letters. Additional text follows, also in blue and red, detailing: "ETCHINGS BY DAVID HOCKNEY WHO WAS INSPIRED BY WALLACE STEVENS WHO WAS INSPIRED BY PABLO PICASSO." The artwork is bordered by a pattern of blue and red dashes, creating a frame-like effect. The bottom right corner contains a signature.

The Blue Guitar

David Hockney
1976
The image depicts a clean, rectangular shape on a beige background with subtle, straight and curved lines adding texture. The composition has an abstract quality, with faint lines blending into the backdrop. In the center-right, the words "THE BLUE GUITAR" are embossed.

The Blue Guitar

David Hockney, Petersburg Press
1977
This print shows an elderly person playing guitar. The person is seated and wearing loose-fitting clothing. They appear to have a gaunt face and a bald head. The individual is barefoot and has one leg crossed over the other, with their head bent down and one shoulder raised up. Their skin is pale blue, and the background and the guitar are in darker shades of blue. Surrounding this central print is a background with decorative elements in orange and green. Text on the top and bottom reads, "PABLO PICASSO Spanish 1881" and "THE OLD GUITARIST 1903."

The Old Guitarist

David Hockney
1976

Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1991

  • Art for the Nation: Gifts in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1991: p.460.

1996

  • Tōkyō-to Gendai Bijutsukan. David Hockney: Prints 1954-1995. Tokyo, Japan: Museum of Contemporary Art and Tankosha Publishing Co., 1996, no. 191.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: David Hockney; lower left in graphite: 18/200; lower center verso stamped: The Blue Guitar / "Etching is the Subject"

Wikidata ID

Q74888457

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