Pretty Tulips
Medium: Lithograph in colors on Crisbrook handmade paper
Year: 1969
Sheet: 28 3/8 x 19 7/8 inches (72.1 x 50.5 cm)
Edition: 200
Artist’s Proofs: 30 AP
Publisher: Petersburg Press, London
Literature: Scottish Arts Council (115)
Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil
Since the 1960s, flowers have been a central theme of David Hockney’s work. From etchings to lithographs to iPad drawings, the humble vase of flowers has been under constant review by the British artist. A keen student of this art historical tradition, Hockney was initially drawn to Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflower painting’s from the late 1880s. Hockney’s exploration of the floral still life as a formal composition further provided him a means of exploring medium, specifically diverse printmaking techniques. Showcasing his mastery of the various printing methods, Hockney’s depictions of flowers are delicate and moving works exemplar of the development of his unique style, excitement regarding new printing techniques, and his endless experimentations with color, form, and line.
David Hockney, Pretty Tulips, February 1970 from Twenty Photographic Pictures by David Hockney, 1976. Image: Richard Schmidt, Artwork: © David Hockney
Pretty Tulips is a compelling example of David Hockney’s exceptional draughtsmanship and his ability to re-invigorate a traditional still-life subject through a distinctly modern lens. Not a pun or an ironic title, Hockney is earnest in his celebration of a beautiful, classical subject. The composition centers on a vibrant blue, patterned vase holding a bouquet of tulips rendered in subtle tones of pink and red. The assured line and sensitive use of color give the flowers a distinctly Hockney feel, while the restrained palette allows the naturalist, delicate forms to remain the focus. Flowers recur throughout Hockney’s oeuvre, serving as a continual source of inspiration and formal exploration. Flower studies are an integral part of the still life genre and Tulips in particular have held a fascination for the artist, not least because of their sensitivity to water and their expressive response once cut. As they sit in a vase, tulips characteristically droop and shift, their changing forms encapsulating the passage of time.
In Pretty Tulips, the dynamic nature of the composition is heightened by the variation in the tulips themselves, some blooms droop gracefully over the rim of the vase almost resting on the glass table below, while others stand upright, capturing both the physical dexterity of the flower and its natural cycle of growth and decline. Hockney embraces this transience, imbuing the work with a quiet poignancy that elevates the everyday subject into something contemplative and enduring. This gentle asymmetry introduces a sense of movement and temporality, transforming the still life into a quietly expressive meditation on change.
Below the vase, Hockney includes its reflection on the reflective tabletop, slightly warped and softened, accompanied by a subtle shadow. This mirrored element adds depth to the composition and demonstrates Hockney’s playful engagement with spatial perception and visual distortion. The lithograph is printed in six colours, a technical restraint that underscores his mastery of the medium and his ability to achieve richness and nuance through economical means.
Auction Results
Estimated: EUR 6,000 – 8,000
GBP 30,452 / USD 35,410
Lithograph in colors
Signed, dated and annotated artist’s proof
Edition Petersburg Press, London
Artnet Auctions: 19 November 2025
Estimated: 35,000 – 55,000
USD 43,750
DAVID HOCKNEY (British, b. 1937)
Pretty Tulips (SAC 115), 1969
Lithograph in colors on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed, titled, dated and numbered 160/200 in pencil
Published by Petersburg Press, London
The Evelyn D. Farland Collection
Doyle New-York: 19 November 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 25,000
USD 48,000
DAVID HOCKNEY (b. 1937)
PRETTY TULIPS (S.A.C. 115), 1970
Color lithograph on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed, dated, titled and numbered 184/200 in pencil
Published by Petersburg Press, London
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed, titled, dated and numbered 68/200 in pencil
Bonhams London: 16 April 2025
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 56,280 / USD 74,290
AUCTION RECORD FOR PRETTY TULIPS
Lithograph in colors
Signed, dated ’70’, titled and numbered 41/200 in pencil
Estimated: GBP 18,000 – 25,000
GBP 40,960 / USD 52,215
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed, dated, titled and numbered 18/200 in pencil
Heffel online: 31 October 2024
Estimated: CAD 20,000 – 30,000
Hammer: CAD 37,500
CAD 46,250 / USD 33,203
Pretty Tulips, 1970
Estimated: GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 35,840 / USD 45,445
Lithograph in colors
signed, dated, titled and numbered 17/200 in pencil
Sotheby’s London: 15 November 2023
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 16,510 / USD 20,627
DAVID HOCKNEY (b. 1937)
Pretty Tulips (S.A.C. 115), 1970
Lithograph printed in colors on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed in pencil, dated, titled, inscribed Artists proof and dedicated for Elise from David H. xx
One of 30 proofs aside from the numbered edition of 200
Phillips London: 21 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 31,750 / USD 39,138
DAVID HOCKNEY
Pretty Tulips (S.A.C. 115), 1969
Lithograph in colors on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed, titled, dated ’70’ and numbered 6/200 in pencil
Christie’s New-York: 20 April 2023
Estimated: USD 18,000 – 25,000
USD 37,800
DAVID HOCKNEY (B. 1937)
Pretty Tulips, 1969
Lithograph in colors on Crisbrook handmade paper
Signed, titled and dated in pencil, numbered 34/200
Bonhams London: 29 June 2022
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 24,225 / USD 29,524
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed, dated, titled and inscribed Artists Proof in pencil
An artist’s proof aside from the edition of 200
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 24,000 / USD 33,572
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed, dated, titled and numbered 157/200 in pencil
The full sheet, with very pale time and light-staining, the colors very slightly attenuated but still good