- David Hockney has died at the age of 88.
- Regarded as one of the most influential and defining painters in contemporary art, he reportedly breathed his last at his home in London on Thursday.
- The cause of death was not immediately known
Revolutionary British painter David Hockney has died at the age of 88. Regarded as one of the most influential and defining painters in contemporary art, Hockney reportedly breathed his last at his home in London on Thursday.
The artist's publicist, Erica Bolton, confirmed his death in a statement to BBC News on Friday. “The celebrated British artist David Hockney, one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the 20th and 21st centuries, passed away peacefully at home on 11 June 2026, one month short of his 89th birthday,” the statement read.
The cause of death was not immediately known. He is survived by his partner, Jean-Pierre Goncalves de Lima, two brothers and “numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews", according to the publicist.
“His seven-decade career and prolific oeuvre were characterised by his multi-media approach in image-making, an intellectual inquiry into the nature of depiction and perspective, and a sustained commitment to celebrating and portraying the world around him," Bolton's statement read, as cited by AFP.
Born in 1937 in England's Bradford, Hockney was known for his rebellious nature and bold-themed paintings. He studied at London's Royal College of Art, where he was featured in the exhibition New Contemporaries, making the arrival of British pop art possible.
He used titles such as “Going to be a Queen for Tonight” and “Doll Boy” for his abstract paintings at a time when homosexuality was punishable by prison in the United Kingdom.
Hockney was undoubtedly one of the most influential artists working across paint, photographs and lithographs. He made a name for himself in the 60s and 70s with his trademark swimming pool portraits, making him a superstar in Los Angeles.
As per reports, in 2018, one of his 1972 swimming pool paintings, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), a rich piece with vibrant greens and blues, was sold for nearly £70 million at a New York City auction, a record at the time for a living artist. Throughout his career, Hockney was acclaimed worldwide as a painter as well as a master draughtsman.