This etching from David Hockney’s celebrated Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm portfolio depicts the famous story ‘Rumpelstilzchen’. Hockney wanted to mimick the shining texture of gold, drawing rays around the ingots and writing “GOLD” in loose, outlined letters. He states: “I show the straw as falling down but leave in signs that make the gold look shiny. Is that obvious? I was never sure, when I was doing them, I didn't want to make them too obvious; but on the other hand, I didn't want to make them too obscure on the visual side.”

A room full of straw (Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm) 1969
Etching on W S Hodgkinson paper watermarked "DH" and "PP"
Plate 13.5 x 10.2 in / 34.3 x 26 cm
Paper 24.75 x 17.5 in / 62.87 x 44.45 cm
Unique publisher’s copy aside from the edition of 400 books and 100 portfolios