The painting "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)" by David Hockney is a cult work by the most influential contemporary artist

"The Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)" is a painting created by David Hockney in 1972. The composition centers around an open pool, set against a vibrant green landscape and misty blue hills in the background. The water's surface, fragmented and shimmering under the sun's rays, visually distorts the proportions of the swimmer approaching the pool's edge, blurring the contours of their figure. Near the water, on the tiled surface, stands a man in white trousers and a pink jacket. Slightly leaning forward, he gazes at the person swimming towards him. The simplified forms do not distract from the brightness of colors and the sense of space. Filled with light, the artwork evokes a feeling of freedom and instantly creates a positive mood.

David Hockney. The painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), 1972

• Title of the painting: "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)".
• Artist: David Hockney (born on July 9, 1937).
• Year of creation: 1972.
• Size: 213.5 x 305 cm.
• Style: Pop Art, Modern.
• Genre: Portrait, Domestic Scene.
• Technique: Acrylic.
• Material: Canvas.
• Location: Private collection.

David Hockney is a British painter, printmaker, photographer, and a pop art star, recognized as the most influential contemporary artist. His style developed in the 1960s and 1970s after the artist's arrival in sunny California. From that moment on, his works were characterized by deep and saturated colors, juicy landscapes, straight lines, blue pools, and bronze bodies, which became the leitmotif of his artistic expression.

The idea for the painting "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)" came spontaneously in late 1971. Such a scene did not exist in reality; David Hockney imagined it. While going through photographs in his studio, he juxtaposed two images of different people: one of a man in a pool and the other of a guy looking at something on the ground. Mentally combining the two images into one composition, the artist immediately began working on it.

However, the process of creating the artwork proved to be challenging. The intended compositional solution required more thorough development. Difficulties arose in depicting the shimmering two-dimensionality, the thin film on the water's reflective surface. Additionally, the artist experienced a break-up in his romantic relationship with the painter Peter Schlesinger, which emotionally drained him. Hockney abandoned the painting several times only to start again.

David Hockney worked on the final version of the painting for two weeks, dedicating most of his time to it. He depicted his former lover at the edge of the pool and presumably portrayed himself in the water. The work was completed in May 1972.

The painting "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)" by David Hockney instantly appealed to the public, weary of the prevailing abstract expressionism of the time with its constant existential suffering and enigmas. In 2018, the artwork was auctioned at Christie's and set a price record among works by currently living artists, with a transaction amount of 90.3 million dollars.