California (1965)

When David Hockney swapped grey English skies for the sunshine of Los Angeles, everything about the place seemed to thrill him, and this 1965 painting shows exactly why. Two naked figures drift lazily on inflatable mattresses in a bright blue pool, framed by vivid green lawn and the soft warmth of a Californian afternoon. Freshly arrived from England, Hockney found the easy, sun-soaked way of life almost like a dream, and that sense of delight comes through in the cheerful palette and the relaxed, unhurried scene.

Water was the thing that truly grabbed his attention, and here he is clearly testing out how to capture it. The pool surface becomes a lively knot of blue squiggles and loops, a challenge he would puzzle over again and again in the years ahead. Small touches such as the orange and white diving board tucked into one corner and the little potted tree on the right anchor the whole thing in an ordinary backyard. The clean lines and flat, simple shapes tie him to Pop Art and its love of everyday modern life. More than anything, this is an honest snapshot of leisure and an early hint of the pool paintings that would soon make his name.