The Lady Magazine

10 February 2017

Dear Readers, David Hockney, Britain’s greatest living (and beloved) artist, is 80 this year and the Tate are celebrating with a major retrospective of his work which spans six decades. From the rare, charming student pieces painted at the Royal College to the vast colour field canvases of his later years. It is impossible not to smile at Hockney’s sunshine palette – as he likes to say, laughter helps you live longer. Living longer, or at least continuing the family name, was exactly what was wanted by the impoverished Victorian aristocrats who turned to the discreet Transatlantic Marriage Bureau in search of American heiresses. Julie Ferry’s fascinating piece reveals the startling details behind these grand matches. Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening’s own 24-year marriage to heartthrob Warren Beatty is one of the longest in Hollywood. Now in her late 50s, she tells us how she is keen to protect their four children from heartache and embrace new creative challenges. Who could disagree? You could start your creative makeover by flicking through the fashion pages. It’s twinsets – but not as you know them… Until next week