{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O164331"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O164331/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O164331","accessionNumber":"CIRC.520-1968","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"'The shop window of a tobacco store'","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. 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. Here, however, he sets a more specific scene, with the tobacco shop acting as the site for sexual or erotic encounter.\r\n\r\n\r\nAlthough 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 illustrations which he ultimately made are almost (but not quite) all of  young male couples which might have been made in many places apart from Egypt in the early 20th century. Although there has been a tradition of homo-erotic art, it has often been closeted.  Hockney’s frank yet sensitive depictions of homosexual themes seem to have a wider public appeal.","physicalDescription":"A street with shop fronts. In the centre, the shop is lettered on its board 'HIS MASTER'S VOICE and above in Arabic, and below: 'S.AUDI & FRERES'  A couple of men talking outside it and a man in a fez walking past them. Above the shop front a row of windows.","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":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Gender and Sexuality","id":"THES48940"}],"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.514-1968","id":"O163864"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"CIRC.515-1968","id":"O164307"},"association":""},{"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.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":""}],"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":"34.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"22.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plate","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"David Hockney '66    37/75\r\n\r\nea 368","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.  Stamped on the back with the publisher's mark and number."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"David Hockney: 'The shop window of a tobacco store'. 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.53"}],"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 of the same title.","productionType":{"text":"Limited edition","id":"THES48862"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Alexandria (Egypt)","id":"x28716"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"poet","id":"AAT25513"},{"text":"homoerotic","id":"x34639"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"homosexuality","id":"AAT55188"},{"text":"eroticism (homo-eroticism)","id":"x42852"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Fourteen Poems by C.P.Cavafy. Chosen and illustrated with 12 etchings by David Hockney. Translated by  Stephen Spender and Nikos Stangos.Published by Editions Alecto Ltd., 1967"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.520-1968"],"accessionNumberNum":"520","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1968,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"37/75","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-07","recordCreationDate":"2008-07-25","availableToBook":false}}