David Hockney's 1972 work Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) represents the culmination of two of the artist's most celebrated motifs -  the swimming pool and the male figure. It has become the most recognisable and iconic image in Hockney's oeuvre due in no small part to the fact that in 2018 the original painting sold for $90 million becoming the most expensive work by a living artist sold at auction.

The work depicts two male figures, one underwater and the other standing fully-dressed beside the swimming pool looking down on the swimming figure. Against the backdrop of luscious green hills and trees which disappear into the hazy blue sky cuts a shimmering blue swimming pool. Hockney employs his characteristically saturated colours and simplified, flattened shapes to conjure up this iconic image.

The idea for the composition was inspired by the chance juxtaposition of two photos on Hockney’s studio floor, one of a figure underwater and the other of a man looking down at the ground. The inclusion of his former lover Peter Schlesinger in the composition, adds a layer of personal emotion to Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), making it all the more powerful. As he looks down at the male figure in the pool we sense the painter’s desire, melancholy and heartbreak set into the stillness of the sun-drenched setting.

This gallery quality giclee art print has been produced on luxurious heavyweight textured art paper using archival inks that won't fade over time resulting in a superior print with pin-sharp detail, rich vivid colours and unparalleled durability.

• Gallery quality giclée art print
• 300gsm 100% cotton rag textured art paper
• Natural white with a matte finish
• Archival inks for rich vivid colour and sharp detail
• Available in multiple sizes 
• Can be purchased framed or unframed

David Hockney is one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. He is perhaps best known for his paintings of swimming pools, portraits of friends, and verdant landscapes. The artist’s oeuvre ranges from collaged photography and opera posters, to Cubist-inspired abstractions and plein-air paintings of the English countryside.

Often returning to a certain motif again and again, he probes the manifold ways one can see an image or a space. Hockney’s exploration of photography’s effect on painting and everyday life is evinced in his hallmark work A Bigger Splash (1967). “In art, new ways of seeing mean new ways of feeling; you can't divorce the two, as, we are now aware, you cannot have time without space and space without time,” he has explained.

Quality art deserves quality framing. We offer a premium quality bespoke framing service that is more affordable and convenient than using your local picture framer. Your art print will be framed to the most exacting standards by our team of master framers using gallery quality materials throughout. The end result - a beautiful framed artwork designed to last a lifetime that exudes style and craftsmanship delivered right to your door.

• Framing only available within New Zealand
• Delivery time is approximately 7 working days
  
• Artwork arrives ready to hang
• Hardwood frames in three stylish colour options
  
• 2mm premium clear float glass
  
• A0 size is framed with gallery quality acrylic (in place of glass) when shipped outside of Auckland 

To learn more about our framing process please visit the following link -