Children's Swimming Pool, Autumn 1972

The indoor swimming pool in Willesden, near Leon Kossoff’s north London home, is the subject of this painting. Kossoff began taking his children to the pool for swimming lessons soon after it opened in 1967, and over a period of several years he made numerous drawings, mainly from the cafeteria that overlooked the pool. He focused on groups of swimmers and on the architecture, noting the changes wrought by different seasons and times of day. He later made six paintings of the pool in his studio, all distinguished by a light touch and a sense of movement, noise and space.

Although many of his works focus on his immediate family and friends, Kossoff has also painted the parts of London that he knows best. These scenes, often busy with human activity, reflect the constantly changing nature of urban existence.