Reinventing the Marriage Portrait: Gender, Symbolism, and Modern Identity in David Hockney’s Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy
Publication Date
2026
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
Watkins College of Art
Department
Art, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Thomas Williams
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
Reinventing the Marriage Portrait: Gender, Symbolism, and Modern Identity in Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy
This paper argues that David Hockney’s Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy (1970–71) reinvents the traditional marriage portrait by introducing psychological ambiguity, symbolic complexity, and the inversion of gender roles. Depicting Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell in a seemingly calm domestic interior, the painting subtly disrupts conventions of unity and marital harmony through spatial tension and emotionally detached figures.
Placing the work in dialogue with earlier portraits such as The Arnolfini Portrait, this paper shows how Hockney reconfigures traditional symbols of fidelity into ambiguous, modern motifs. Using formalist, iconographic, feminist, and social art historical approaches, the analysis demonstrates how the painting reflects shifting gender roles and cultural identities in 1970s Britain.
Ultimately, Hockney transforms the marriage portrait into a nuanced exploration of modern partnership, aligning with the theme of “Portraiture and (Mis)Representation” by questioning how identity and relationships are constructed and represented.
Recommended Citation
DeOrio, Madison. “Reinventing the Marriage Portrait: Gender, Symbolism, and Modern Identity in David Hockney’s Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy.” Spark Presentation, ART 3660: Art History Research & Methodology, Dr. Thomas Williams, Belmont University. April 2026.
