Born in 1937 in Yorkshire, northern England, David Hockney is considered to be one of the greatest British artists of the 20th century. He was part of a group of young artists - based mainly at London’s Royal College of Art - who transformed the public attitude to painting in the 1950s and 1960s. Loosely related to the Pop Art movement, Hockney offered an art that was immediately accessible and fun. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s and was instantly attracted by the way of life under the bright blue and cloudless skies, and California’s constantly water-sprinkled lawns, swimming-pools and the cool, air-conditioned interiors of its vast mansions.

This watercolour belongs with a group of paintings, in both oil and watercolours, that deal with the behaviour of water. Hockney was fascinated by what he called the 'squiggly water' in swimming-pools, how a breeze could shimmer the surface, how a diver could create 'a bigger splash'. In this watercolour he contrasts the natural quality of the pool's surface with the man-made surrounding pavement and the diving-board. This watercolour also reflects Hockney's exhilaration with life in California.