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Signed Hockney print found in a book sells for £41K
A signed print by the artist David Hockney has sold for more than £41,000 after being discovered tucked inside a book donated to a Salvation Army charity shop in Norwich. The print, depicting one of Hockney's celebrated swimming pool scenes, had lain unnoticed for 46 years until a volunteer thumbed through the donated book, turning an ordinary charity shop find into a valuable piece of art history and a significant fundraising windfall.
The print was found inside a 1980 copy of Hockney's book Paper Pools, which had been donated to the shop on Lower Goat Lane a year earlier. Volunteer and local artist Jemma Banks made the discovery, and the item was subsequently auctioned on the charity's eBay site, fetching £41,160 from an anonymous bidder. The sale comes weeks after Hockney's death last month at the age of 88, with proceeds set to support the Salvation Army's community work.
In short
- Signed Hockney print found inside donated book sold for £41,160
- Discovered by a volunteer in a Norwich Salvation Army shop
- Print had remained hidden in the book for 46 years
Explained simply
David Hockney was one of the most important and celebrated British artists of the twentieth century, internationally recognised for his distinctive paintings and prints, particularly those of swimming pools which became his most iconic subject matter. His works are highly valued by collectors and museums worldwide.
A signed print by Hockney remained hidden inside a donated book for nearly fifty years, unnoticed until a volunteer at a Salvation Army charity shop in Norwich discovered it whilst sorting through the collection. The book, a 1980 publication by Hockney himself about his pool paintings, had come to the shop without anyone realising it contained such a valuable artwork.
Such discoveries are remarkable because valuable items sometimes go completely unrecognised and overlooked for decades within ordinary donated goods. The find also comes shortly after the artist's recent death and demonstrates the lasting market value and appeal of his work.