David Hockney Lithograph of Water Made of Lines, Crayon, and Two Blue Washes (M.C.A.T 209) For Sale

David Hockney’s Water Lithographs transport you back to the sun-drenched summer of 1970s Los Angeles. This portfolio of eleven lithographs elegantly depicts a blissful scene of tranquil swimming pool, with a white diving board stretching over an expanse of rich blue water. The simplicity of this screenprint holds a profound elegance, as the delicate blue washes convincingly depict a filled swimming pool. In order to capture the play of light on the surface of the water, Hockney added a swarm of swirling blue line throughout the water. Hockney emulates the natural rhythms and movements of water through his use of wavy blue lines and patterns, as varying curvatures and thicknesses of these lines enhance this sense of motion and depth. The blue is in harmony with the green grass behind the pool. Both these rich washes of colour contrast with the white, untouched diving board, making the print feel like a fading memory of a hot summer’s day. A central theme in Hockney’s lithograph series is the interplay of light and water, the viewer can sense light refracting on the water, creating a shimmering effect that blurs the line between realism and abstraction.

This period marked a key turning point in Hockney’s oeuvre. In 1964 Hockney moved from the grey country of London to the liberal and free ‘Golden State’ of California, which he compared to ‘Van Gogh going to Arles’. This move began a transition in subject matter, where Hockney discovered the magic of the swimming pool, ‘As we flew in over Los Angeles, I looked down to see blue swimming pools all over, and I realised that a swimming pool in England would have been a luxury, whereas here they are not, because of the climate.’