Ann Combing Her Hair
Signed Print

In 1979, Hockney was invited once again to produce a portfolio of prints by the prestigious Gemini print workshop, for which he returned to the theme of his earlier series, Friends. However while the previous portfolio was dominated by Hockney’s male companions and lovers, the 1979 portfolio features many portraits of close female friends Celia Birtwell and Ann Upton as well as Celia’s children – by fashion designer Ossie Clark – Albert and George Clark. Here we see Ann combing her hair in front of a mirror, her figure reminiscent of the women who appear to be caught unawares in many of Degas’ paintings and sketches of women at their toilet. Her back is turned to the viewer and her face is only visible to us through a mirror. With eyes downcast or shut, she appears absorbed in her task. She wears a boldly patterned jacket or cardigan which dominates the composition along with the dark outline of the mirror while her face, hair and hands appear more faint. Ann Upton met Hockney in 1960 and became his model two years later. She later met David Graves who became Hockney’s assistant and the pair were married in 1983 with Hockney as the photographer.