James Cahill’s book on David Hockney painting bought by Thames & Hudson

Thames & Hudson has acquired The Beverly Hills Housewife: Hockney’s Californian Muse and the World Beyond the Pool by James Cahill, an “eclectic study of an artist, his mercurial muse and the beginning of a friendship that would shape the course of each of their lives.”

Marc Valli, publishing director, trade division, bought world all-language rights from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann, for publication on 27th August 2026 in the UK and 3rd November 2026 in the US.

The book’s description reads: “In the summer of 1966, David Hockney visited a wealthy Los Angeles art collector and dedicated patron of contemporary music. Her name was Betty Freeman. He had intended to paint her swimming pool, but was more entranced by Freeman herself.

“Hockney immortalised Freeman in his painting ‘Beverly Hills Housewife’ (1966-67), a sunlit vision of the collector on the terrace of her home. Evoking the light and glamour of 1960s Los Angeles, and the first in a celebrated sequence of large-scale portraits that spanned the following decade, this seductive painting has always carried an air of mystery. Who was the woman in pink? Like Hockney driving through the Hollywood Hills, James Cahill meanders – interweaving the artist’s discovery of Los Angeles with Freeman’s own evolution from aspiring pianist to collector, philanthropist and photographer – but never loses focus on the art.”

Cahill is a British author and critic whose previous books are The Violet Hour and Tiepolo Blue (Sceptre). He said: “I am thrilled to be working with Marc Valli and the entire team at Thames & Hudson on The Beverly Hills Housewife. Revolving around a single painting, the book traces David Hockney’s rise to greatness, Los Angeles in flux and, above all, the bond between the artist and his beguiling subject, Betty Freeman. It’s also my own love letter to LA, the city where I’ve been living for the past three years.”

Valli commented: “I have known James Cahill for many years. When commissioning him to write for Elephant magazine I was always struck by how he was able to combine in-depth art history with an understanding of the challenges faced by living artists. He has since added a powerful string to his bow with fiction. In this new book, Cahill combines all three aspects of his work: great art history, strong characterisation and a captivating narrative line.”