Which pop artist painted 'A Bigger Splash' in 1967?

David Hockney painted “A Bigger Splash” in 1967. The large Pop Art painting shows a California swimming pool moments after an unseen diver has entered the water, leaving a dramatic white splash at its centre.

Hockney made the work in Berkeley, California, between April and June 1967, while teaching at the University of California. Its nearly square canvas measures about 242.5 by 243.9 centimetres and is now held by Tate Britain in London.

The painting’s calm geometric setting contrasts with the fleeting event it records. Hockney reportedly spent about two weeks carefully painting the splash, even though the real action would have lasted only seconds. The scene developed from earlier works, “The Little Splash” and “The Splash,” both made in 1966.

A common mix-up is confusing this work with “The Splash,” the smaller 1966 painting. The unseen diver is not identified: Hockney based the image on a photograph rather than depicting a known person.