The swimming-pool genius
Obituary | The swimming-pool genius David Hockney believed in working from the heart Britain’s boldest and most innovative painter died on June 11th, aged 88 Save Share Photograph: Getty Images Jun 12th 2026 | 5 min read Listen to this story T he painting , ten feet wide, is a window onto a world. The slim man in the peachy-pink jacket stands by the edge of the pool, looking down, uncertain. Someone is swimming underwater towards him; a young man, clad in modest white trunks. The hills beyond the pool make overlapping triangles of cerulean blue, of olive, sage and lime. They could be those of California or Provence—or even biblical Galilee. Ever since the Renaissance, artists have painted bathers washing off stains and sin amid the peace of nature. David Hockney , who created this scene, knew that. He studied them all. The swimmer’s arms are outstretched. In the blue amniotic water he could be an angel. Or a new lover. It is a double portrait, one of many that made him famous in the 1...
