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American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman)

A painting of a light-skinned man in a suit and glasses standing in profile and a light-skinned woman with chin-length gray hair and wearing a full-length bright-pink robe stand in a courtyard with various sculptures. Between them is a large stone on a plinth, behind them a green abstracted seated figure, and off to the right a totem pole.
© David Hockney

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  • A painting of a light-skinned man in a suit and glasses standing in profile and a light-skinned woman with chin-length gray hair and wearing a full-length bright-pink robe stand in a courtyard with various sculptures. Between them is a large stone on a plinth, behind them a green abstracted seated figure, and off to the right a totem pole.

Date:

1968

Artist:

David Hockney
English, born 1937

About this artwork

One of England’s most versatile and inventive artists of the postwar era, the painter, printmaker, set designer, and photographer David Hockney settled in Los Angeles in 1964. His work since then has often reflected, with wit and incision, the sun-washed flatness of the Southern California environment. Perhaps the most iconic example from a group of double portraits of friends and associates from the 1960s, this large painting depicts contemporary-art collectors Fred and Marcia Weisman in the sculpture garden of their Los Angeles home. As Hockney said, “The portrait wasn’t just in the faces, it was in the whole setting.” As relentlessly stiff and still as the objects surrounding them, the couple stands apart, his stance echoed in the totem pole to the right, hers in the figurative sculpture behind her. Mrs. Weisman’s distorted mouth also mirrors that of the totem pole. Mr. Weisman’s shadow falls possessively over the abstract sculpture at his feet. His hand is clenched so tightly it seems as if he were squeezing paint out of his fist (Hockney deliberately left the drips). Brilliant, raking light flattens and abstracts the scene. This pervasive aridity is reinforced by the segregation of living, green foliage, including the lonely potted tree, to the edges of the painting. Unsurprisingly, the Weismans did not favor Hockney’s harsh portrayal and did not keep the painting.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

David Hockney

Title

American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman)

Place

England (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1968

Medium

Acrylic on canvas

Dimensions

213.4 × 304.8 cm (83 7/8 × 120 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Frederic G. Pick

Reference Number

1984.182

Copyright

© David Hockney

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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