ONE of the first paintings produced by David Hockney when he moved to California in the Sixties is set to make a world record at auction.

The work, Beverly Hills Housewife, showed American philanthropist and art patron Betty Freeman on the patio of her home. She bought it when it was completed in 1967.

It is now being sold for an estimated £4.9million to £12.7million after she died last month aged 87.

Yorkshire-born Hockney, 71, moved to Los Angeles in the mid-Sixties and asked Mrs Freeman if he could come to her house and paint the swimming pool.

It was the first in a series of paintings, called California Dreaming, which would include works such as A Bigger Splash that became among the most famous of his works. The series showed Californian scenes in crisp light and hyper-real colours.

The giant double canvas became the centrepiece of Mrs Freeman's art collection which also included work by Roy Lichtenstein, Mark Rothko, Frank Stella and Dan Flavin.

She was a great patron of the arts, notably commissioning work from contemporary composers such as Pierre Boulez, John Cage, Steve Reich and John Adams. She loved the Hockney painting so much that when the National Portrait Gallery mounted an exhibition of his portraits at the end of 2006 she refused to lend it to London for fear she may not live long enough to get it back.

Laura Paulson, of Christie's New York, which is to sell the work, said: "Betty Freeman's deep commitment to the arts was demonstrated by a lifetime of indefatigable dedication and passionate support."

The previous record for a Hockney was set in London three years ago when The Splash sold for £2.9million. Success at the sale in New York on 13 May could put the artist on course to become the next British darling of the auction rooms after Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.

Ms Paulson said: "Beverly Hills Housewife is one of Hockney's most fascinating and iconic works and remains a perfect, timeless tribute to Freeman, who will be remembered as an influential patron of our contemporary culture."

The painting has been seen in Britain only once. It was exhibited at the artist's retrospective at the Tate 20 years ago.

Christie's is likely to put it on display in London prior to the sale.