Literary Center » Check out David Hockney’s strange and lovely illustrations for his favorite Brothers Grimm fairy tales.

The beloved British artist David Hockney, who died last week aged 88, was celebrated for his vibrant paintings, his innovative techniques and his delightful kookiness. He, like many visionary people and other people who know what is good for them, loved fairy tales.

In 1969, Hockney made 39 carvings Based on six of her favorite stories from the Brothers Grimm: “The Little Sea Hare,” “Fandevogel,” “Rapunzel,” “The Boy Who Left Home to Learn Fears,” “Old Rinkrank,” and “Rumpelstiltschen.”

“They’re charming, little stories,” Hockney said“Told in very simple, straightforward, straightforward language and style, it was that simplicity that attracted me. They cover quite a strange range of experience, from the magical to the moral.” Hockney’s engravings are also fascinating: strange, outrageous and expressive, but in minimalist black and white. Hockney said, “My choice of stories was sometimes influenced by how I could illustrate them.” “I included other stories just because they were weird.”

Etchings collected Six fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm with illustrations by David HockneyPublished by Petersburg Press, London in 1970. Here are just a few favourites:

David Hockney, “A Black Cat Leaping,” 1969 (from “The Boy Who Left Home to Learn Fear”)
David Hockney, “The Sexton Disguised as a Ghost,” 1969 (from “The Boy Who Left Home to Learn Fear”)
David Hockney, “Inside the Castle,” 1969 (from “The Boy Who Left Home to Learn Fear”)
David Hockney, “Cold Water About to Hit the Prince,” 1969 (from “The Boy Who Left Home to Learn Fear”)
David Hockney, “The Boy Hidden in an Egg,” 1969 (from “The Little Sea Hare”)
David Hockney, “The Princess in Her Tower,” 1969 (from “The Little Sea Hare”)
David Hockney, “A Room Full of Straw,” 1969 (from “Rumpelstiltschen”)
David Hockney, “The Cook,” 1969 (from “Fandevogel”)
David Hockney, “The Enchantress with the Baby Rapunzel,” 1969 (from “Rapunzel”)
David Hockney, “The Tower Had One Window,” 1969 (from “Rapunzel”)
David Hockney, “The Older Rapunzel,” 1969 (from “Rapunzel”)

Find out more from this series Here.