{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O163864"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O163864/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O163864","accessionNumber":"CIRC.514-1968","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Portrait of C..P Cavafy, from the suite  'C.P.Cavafy in Alexandria'","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"Although commonly grouped with the Pop artists who emerged in Britain in the 1960s, David Hockney was less influenced in his image making by mass media, advertising and the consumer society than by his private life (his imagery often focuses on friends and familiar places), traditional literature and gay culture. The  Alexandria-born Greek Cavafy, whom he discovered in 1960, was one of his favourite poets. In 1966 Hockney travelled to Beirut  in search of the kind of atmosphere he imagined Alexandria would have had at the time when Cavafy was writing there. However the images which he ultimately made to illustrate a selection of Cavafy's poems are mostly of  young male couples which could have been made in many places apart from Egypt in the early 20th century. It is their simplicity and  frankness which reflect the quality of Cavafy's writing which appealed to Hockney. The portrait of the poet sets the scene for the ensuing illustrations.","physicalDescription":"Head and shoulders portrait of a  man wearing round-rimmed spectacles, jacket, collar and tie, against a background of distant buildings on a skyline: a long arcade, a high and a low apartment block; in front of the buildings a row of palm trees.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Hockney, David","id":"A4233"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Alecto Studios","id":"A22810"},"association":{"text":"printer","id":"x30811"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Editions Alecto Ltd.","id":"A22811"},"association":{"text":"publisher","id":"x32600"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"etching and aquatint on paper","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Gender and Sexuality","id":"THES48940"},{"text":"LGBTQ","id":"THES266921"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"MP","shelf":"207","box":"A"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1966","earliest":"1966-01-01","latest":"1966-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"AAT53319"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1967","earliest":"1967-01-01","latest":"1967-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"CIRC.515-1968","id":"O164307"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.516-1968","id":"O164312"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.517-1968","id":"O164315"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.518-1968","id":"O164328"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.519-1968","id":"O164330"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.520-1968","id":"O164331"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.521-1968","id":"O164332"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.522-1968","id":"O164821"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.523-1968","id":"O164827"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.524-1968","id":"O164831"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.525-1968","id":"O164835"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.697-1968","id":"O158984"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"57","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"39.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"sheet","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"34.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"22.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plate","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"David Hockney '66    38/75\r\nC.P.CAVAFY IN ALEXANDRIA Alexandria\r\nea 362","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"signed, dated and numbered in pencil. Lettered within the plate (at the top), in capitals,with title. Stamped on the back with the publisher's mark and number"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"David Hockney: Portrait of the poet C.P.Cavafy. Etching and aquatint 1966","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Andrew Brighton: David Hockney Prints 1954-1977[Catalogue Raisonne]. Midland Group Gallery, Nottingham/ Scottish Arts Council. 1979.  no. 47"}],"production":"One of a suite of 12 plates to:  Fourteen Poems by C.P. Cavafy. Chosen and Illustrated with twelve etchings by David Hockney. Translated by Nikos Stangos and Stephen Spender.  Published by Editions Alecto Limited, London 1967.  This illustration accompanies the poem 'The mirror at the entrance'","productionType":{"text":"Limited edition","id":"THES48862"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Alexandria (Egypt)","id":"x28716"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Cavafy, C.P.","id":"N7541"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"poet","id":"AAT25513"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"homosexuality","id":"AAT55188"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Fourteen Poems by C.P.Cavafy. Chosen and illustrated with twelve etchings by David Hockney. Translated by Stephen Spender and Nikos Stangos. Published by Editions Alecto Ltd., London 1967"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.514-1968"],"accessionNumberNum":"514","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1968,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"38/75","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-19","recordCreationDate":"2008-07-18","availableToBook":false}}