In 1979-80, Hockney was invited to design the stage sets for a triple bill at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, consisting of Erik Satie's Parade, and two others short operas. The canvas for Parade, on which the artist based his poster, is drawn from these designs. The ballet introduces the audience to the world of circuses and street fairs, a theme common in all three works. Parade is freely drawn in bold colors and simple forms portraying circus images. The poster is evidence of Hockney's growing enthusiasm for the work of Picasso, who, coincidently, designed the original sets for the ballet in 1917.

David Hockney, an English painter, printmaker, photographer and stage designer, was born in Bradford, England, where he attended the local School of Art from 1953-1957. He is regarded as one of the most popular and versatile artists of the second half of the twentieth century. He taught at the University of Iowa in 1964.