David Hockney, an outstanding artist who cannot be classified as belonging to any movement in art, has died. He knew exactly the answer to the question: why paint if you have photography?

On June 12, David Hockney, one of the most important British and American artists of our time, died in London. He painted his most famous paintings in the 1960s and 1970s in California. His characters swim in swimming pools, pose near fashionable mansions and among art collections. Hockney's works have little in common with his contemporary art: they are quite conservative in their technique, surprisingly optimistic in their mood and seemingly practically apolitical (in fact, this is not the case). In addition to painting and photography, Hockney made his mark on art history: he hypothesized that the Old Masters used lenses and mirrors to create realistic images. Critic Anton Khitrov talks about the artist’s career and legacy.