The great British painter, designer and pioneer of modern art David Hockney died peacefully at his home in London on 11 June 2026, aged 88, just a month short of his 89th birthday. The news was confirmed by his representatives with an official announcement made public on Friday.
Hockney is considered one of the most defining figures of 20th and 21st century art. With a career spanning seven decades, he has been a tireless explorer of the possibilities of the image, constantly pushing the boundaries between painting, photography, printmaking, scenography and, later, digital creation.
Born on 9 July 1937 in Bradford, northern England, he studied at the Bradford School of Art and then at the Royal College of Art in London, where he emerged as one of the most important new talents on the British art scene.
His international recognition came in the 1960s, when he settled in Los Angeles and created some of the most iconic works of post-war art. Famous California swimming pools, with ‘A Bigger Splash’ (1967) being a prime example, became synonymous with his name, while works such as ‘Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)’ (1972) are among the masterpieces of modern painting.
At the same time, Hockney was one of the first artists to speak openly about his homosexuality through his work, at a time when relationships between men remained criminalized in Britain. This attitude made him not only an artistic but also a social pioneer.
Throughout his life he refused to rest on his laurels. He experimented with photo collages, developed theories about the use of visual aids by the old masters of painting, designed sets for operas and ballets of international renown and, since the beginning of the 21st century, enthusiastically embraced new technologies, creating works with iPhones and iPads when many of his peers remained wary of digital media.
In recent years he has continued to work tirelessly. After his stay in Normandy, where he created the monumental composition “A Year in Normandie”, he returned to London in 2023. In 2025, the major retrospective “David Hockney 25” was presented in Paris, while only in the last few months he exhibited new works in the British capital.
In the official announcement of his death, his collaborators emphasized that his work was characterized by “a deep curiosity about the way we see the world, his inexhaustible love of life and his dedication to the joy of creation.”
During his long career he has been honored with top honours, including the UK’s Order of Merit, and this year he was made an Officer of France’s Legion of Honor, one of the country’s highest honors for cultural figures.
David Hockney leaves behind his longtime partner Jean-Pierre Gonsalves de Lima, his brothers Philip and John, and a huge artistic legacy that shaped the way we perceive the contemporary image. From California swimming pools to Normandy landscapes to iPad drawings, his work remains a constant reminder that art can be bold, innovative and deeply human at the same time.
Beyond his undeniable artistic influence, Hockney remained a restless and unconventional personality to the end. He passionately defended individual freedom, challenged the certainties of his time, and never gave up his smoking habit, which he considered part of his personal enjoyment and independence. His associates describe him as a man of inexhaustible curiosity, rare generosity and distinctive humor, who viewed art as a continuous process of discovery.
His legacy will continue to illuminate world art for many decades to come.
