The Beverly Hills Housewife: Hockney's Californian Muse and the World Beyond the Pool

The Beverly Hills Housewife offers a panoramic view of 1960s Los Angeles and Californian culture through the eyes of artist and subject: the youthful fascination of David Hockney and the seasoned gaze of enigmatic socialite Betty Freeman.

In the summer of 1966, David Hockney paid a visit to a wealthy Los Angeles art collector. Her name was Betty Freeman. He had intended to paint her swimming pool, but was rapidly entranced by Freeman herself.

Hockney, soon to embark on a series of Los Angeles...