David HOCKNEY
English (active in USA), born 1937
The second marriage
1963
oil, gouache and collage on canvas
197.0 x 228.7 cm
Purchased 1965
1525-5

This is one of a number of works Hockney produced in the early 1960s when he was examining domestic life, in particular marriage. The box like composition creates a critical context for the concept of marriage. The couple are depicted as if on show for the public and there is an uncomfortable self-consciousness about them.

There is also a touch of humour and irony, as it has been suggested that the male figure is a self-portrait