David Hockney dies at 88, leaving a legacy of color and record-breaking sales

David Hockney, the British artist known for his vibrant pool scenes and landscapes, died at 88 on June 11, 2026. His 2018 painting 'Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)' sold for $90.3 million at Christie's, making him the world's most expensive living painter at the time. A major retrospective at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in 2025, covering seven decades from 1955 to 2025, drew over 900,000 visitors. Hockney's career was launched in the mid-1960s by Henry Geldzahler, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, after he moved to California, where he found sexual freedom and created his iconic pool series. He explored diverse media including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, photocollages, and iPad compositions. His 2022 exhibition at the Musée Matisse in Nice paired his works with those of Matisse. Hockney's foundation, established in 2008, announced that a memorial service will be held in London in spring 2027, followed by ceremonies in Yorkshire, Paris, and Los Angeles. Most of his thousands of works will be donated to foundations and public institutions worldwide. His funeral was private, attended only by his companion and great-nephew.