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Student Artwork Guide

The twenty fourth

David Hockney

Name Class Date
David Hockney, The twenty fourth. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
David Hockney topimpressionists.com/en/artists/david-hockney/
Artist’s dates
1937 –
Medium
Acrylic On Canvas
Movement
Pop Art Art made from advertising, comics and packaging, treating supermarket images as worth a gallery wall.
Period
Contemporary
Artistic style
Hockneyesque – characterized by bold color and simplified forms
Influences
Bruegel, Japanese prints
Notable elements or techniques
Bright colors, geometric forms, snapshot aesthetic
Subject or theme
Domestic scene, everyday life

Copyright This work is treated as still under copyright. David Hockney was born in 1937 and has no recorded death date; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

The twenty fourth — David Hockney Part 1 · The artwork

In context

The twenty fourth — David Hockney

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1930
  2. 1940
  3. 1950
  4. 1960
  5. 1970
  6. 1980
  7. 1990

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span, counting 0 from birth.

every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/david-hockney-the-twenty-fourth-AE3MGY-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Brown #a63615

    Catalogued palette

    • #A63615
    • #102413
    • #9091B4
    • #0C2E82

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Dark The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Brown
    Intensity
    Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Clear Color Presence How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by David Hockney over the last twelve months — 35 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 France 20.5%
    2. 2 Belgium 14.2%
    3. 3 China 10.5%
    4. 4 Poland 6.5%
    5. 5 Czechia 6.1%
    6. 6 United Kingdom 6.1%
    7. 7 Italy 4.7%
    8. 8 Germany 4.0%
    9. 9 Greece 4.0%
    10. 10 Canada 3.0%
    11. · 25 other countries 20.4%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by David Hockney

    1. 1 A bigger splash, 1967 10.5%
    2. 2 Garrowby hill 8.5%
    3. 3 Portrait of an artist pool with two figures, 1971 8.3%
    4. 4 Pool 2 figures 8.0%
    5. 5 Late spring tunnel 4.3%
    6. 6 Peter Getting out of Nick's Pool 3.9%
    7. 7 Path through wheat field 3.9%
    8. 8 American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman), 1968 3.7%
    9. 9 The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate 3.1%
    10. 10 Place furstenberg, paris 2.7%
    11. 11 Bigger Trees Near Warter Or Peinture Sur Le Motif Pour Le Nouvel Age Post-Photographique 2.6%
    12. 12 Three Trees near Thixendale 2.5%
    13. 13 The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire May 4 2.3%
    14. 14 Nichols canyon 2.2%
    15. 15 A bigger grand canyon, 1998 1.9%
    16. 16 We two boys together clinging 1.9%
    17. 17 Clark percy 1.7%
    18. 18 Red pots in the garden 1.6%
    19. 19 My parents 1.6%
    20. — The twenty fourth this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 75.2% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 120 works by this artist, of which 80 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

    The twenty fourth — David Hockney Part 2 · In context

    About this artwork

    The twenty fourth — David Hockney

    The Twenty Fourth: A Symphony of Color and Reflection

    David Hockney’s “The Twenty Fourth” is not merely a depiction of a vibrant scene; it's an immersive experience, a carefully constructed tableau brimming with light, color, and a palpable sense of leisure. The painting immediately captivates with its audacious palette – the dominant blues of the umbrellas and tents are brilliantly offset by the warm yellows of the structures, creating a dynamic tension that draws the eye across the composition. It’s a quintessential Hockney moment, capturing a fleeting slice of summer life with an almost obsessive attention to detail and a joyful disregard for traditional perspective.

    Hockney's Approach: Observation and Illusion

    Hockney’s technique is instantly recognizable – a masterful blend of direct observation and calculated illusion. He employs a layered approach, building up the image through multiple layers of paint, creating depth and texture that invites close inspection. Notice how he utilizes broken color to suggest form and movement; the blurred edges of the figures and tents contribute to the painting’s sense of immediacy and spontaneity. This technique, rooted in his early explorations with photography and drawing, allows him to capture not just a visual likeness but also an emotional resonance – the feeling of warmth, relaxation, and shared enjoyment that permeates the scene. The inclusion of the clock is particularly intriguing, adding another layer of temporal awareness to this snapshot of summer.

    Historical Context: Pop Art and the British Landscape

    “The Twenty Fourth” emerged during a pivotal moment in British art – the rise of Pop Art in the mid-1960s. Hockney, along with contemporaries like Peter Blake and R.B. Kitaj, challenged the established norms of representational painting, embracing everyday subjects and popular imagery. This work reflects a broader trend of artists engaging with the changing landscape of Britain, documenting its leisure activities and suburban developments. The scene itself – tents, umbrellas, people enjoying themselves – speaks to the burgeoning culture of outdoor recreation that was becoming increasingly prevalent in post-war Britain. It’s a fascinating intersection of artistic innovation and social change.

    Symbolism and Emotional Impact: A Moment of Tranquility

    Beyond its technical brilliance, “The Twenty Fourth” possesses a quiet emotional power. The scene evokes a sense of tranquility and carefree enjoyment – a moment suspended in time. The repetition of shapes and colors creates a hypnotic effect, inviting the viewer to lose themselves in the details. The arrangement of objects—the chair, table, bowl, and cup—suggests an impromptu gathering, a casual celebration of simple pleasures. It’s a painting that speaks to our desire for respite from the pressures of modern life, offering a glimpse into a world where time seems to slow down and connection is paramount. The deliberate inclusion of seemingly random elements – the clock, the varied objects – adds to the painting's enigmatic quality, prompting viewers to interpret its meaning through their own experiences and perspectives.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

    The twenty fourth — David Hockney Part 3 · About this artwork

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    David Hockney

    Born in Bradford, United Kingdom

    A Life Painted in Light: The World of David Hockney

    David Hockney, born July 9, 1937, in the industrial heartland of Yorkshire, England, is more than simply a painter; he’s a visual polymath whose career has spanned painting, drawing, printmaking, stage design, and photography. His story begins amidst the grit and determination of Bradford, a landscape that instilled within him a keen observational eye, even as his father, Kenneth Hockney, fostered a spirit of independent thought through conscientious objection during World War II. This early environment shaped a young artist who would consistently challenge conventions and forge his own path. Formal education at Wellington Primary School and Bradford Grammar School laid the foundation for a career that would redefine British art in the 20th and 21st centuries, culminating in studies at Bradford College of Art and later, the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. It was during these formative years that Hockney began to articulate a unique artistic voice, one that blended Pop sensibilities with a distinctly British perspective.

    The Rise of a Pop Icon and Beyond

    The 1960s witnessed Hockney’s ascent as a pivotal figure within the burgeoning Pop Art movement. However, unlike some contemporaries who wholeheartedly embraced American commercial culture, Hockney brought a uniquely British sensibility to the genre. His work exploded with vibrant color and bold lines, depicting scenes that were both familiar and subtly subversive. A Bigger Splash (1966), perhaps his most iconic early piece, encapsulates this perfectly – a seemingly simple depiction of a swimming pool becomes a meditation on Californian leisure, artifice, and the very act of seeing. This wasn’t merely representation; it was an exploration of how we perceive reality. His double portraits, like American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman), demonstrate his remarkable ability to capture not just likeness but also the essence of personality and relationship. Hockney didn't shy away from personal themes either, notably exploring gay love with openness and vulnerability in works such as We Two Boys Together Clinging (1961), challenging societal norms at a time when homosexuality was largely taboo. This willingness to confront difficult subjects head-on cemented his position as a groundbreaking artist.

    Experimentation, Innovation, and the Rescue of Painting

    Hockney’s artistic curiosity has never been confined to a single medium. Throughout his career, he's relentlessly experimented with new technologies and approaches. From his early embrace of lithography and etching to his later explorations of photography – particularly his use of Polaroid composites in the 1980s – Hockney consistently pushed the boundaries of what art could be. He famously declared painting wasn’t dead but needed “rescuing” from its own conventions, leading him to develop innovative techniques like perspective distortions and fragmented viewpoints. This desire to revitalize painting led to ambitious projects such as Pearblossom Hwy., 11–18th April 1986, a complex photomontage that challenged traditional notions of space and representation. His stage designs for opera, including sets for Mozart's The Magic Flute and Stravinsky's The Rake’s Progress, further demonstrate his versatility and ability to translate his visual language into a different artistic realm. More recently, he has embraced the digital medium, creating stunning landscapes on iPads that showcase his continued fascination with light, color, and perspective – proving that innovation knows no bounds.

    Recognition, Legacy, and Enduring Influence

    David Hockney’s contributions to the art world have been widely recognized throughout his illustrious career. He was appointed Order of the Companion of Honour (CH) in 2018, a testament to his profound impact on British culture. Prior to that, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2003 and received the Laureate of the Praemium Imperiale for Painting in 2000. His works are held in major museum collections worldwide, and can be readily accessed through online platforms, ensuring his art continues to inspire new generations. Hockney’s influence extends beyond the visual arts; he has become a cultural icon, celebrated for his wit, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to artistic exploration. His work is not merely about what he depicts but how he depicts it – a constant questioning of perception and representation that continues to resonate with audiences today. He remains an active force in the art world, continually challenging expectations and inspiring artists across disciplines.

    Further Explorations

    Place Furstenberg, Paris: A captivating example of Hockney’s interior scenes, showcasing his mastery of color and composition.

    Oona Zlamany: A poignant portrait that blends realism with Pop Art influences, revealing the sitter's contemplative nature.

    Lawn Sprinkled: A vibrant depiction of suburban life, characterized by geometric forms and a playful use of color.

    Discover more about fellow British Pop artist Pauline Boty.

    Explore the works of Frank Lisle, a painter who influenced Hockney’s early development.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for The twenty fourth

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/david-hockney-the-twenty-fourth-AE3MGY-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Hockney, David. The twenty fourth. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-hockney-the-twenty-fourth-AE3MGY-en/
    APA
    Hockney, David (n.d.). The twenty fourth [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-hockney-the-twenty-fourth-AE3MGY-en/
    Chicago
    David Hockney. The twenty fourth. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-hockney-the-twenty-fourth-AE3MGY-en/
    Harvard
    Hockney, David (n.d.) The twenty fourth. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/david-hockney-the-twenty-fourth-AE3MGY-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

    The twenty fourth — David Hockney Part 4 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    The twenty fourth — David Hockney

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: david hockney, summer scene, umbrellas. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Pool 2 figures, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Pop Art: Art made from advertising, comics and packaging, treating supermarket images as worth a gallery wall. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 3, 2026

    The twenty fourth — David Hockney Part 5 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    What is the emotional tone of "The twenty fourth" by David Hockney?

    The emotional tone recorded for "The twenty fourth" by David Hockney is joyful. It summarizes the feeling the work expresses.

    What feeling do the colors of "The twenty fourth" by David Hockney create?

    "The twenty fourth" by David Hockney combines a dark palette with a joyful tone.

    What art movement does "The twenty fourth" by David Hockney belong to?

    The movement associated with "The twenty fourth" by David Hockney is Pop Art. This classification situates the work among related artists and artworks.