British artist David Hockney – one of the most influential figures in contemporary art – has died aged 88.
The West Yorkshire-born painter died peacefully at home on Thursday 11 June, his team confirmed. Hockney was just one month away from his 89th birthday.
His work ranged from portraying the turquoise swimming pools and tanned bodies of LA to the Yorkshire fields of his youth, and he painted portraits of everyone from his family and romantic partners to Mick Jagger and Harry Styles.
One of the most famous works in his swimming pool series was Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), which sold for a record-breaking $90m (£70m) at Christie’s auction house in 2018.
As tributes flood in for the artist, read on for the latest following Hockney’s death.
Key Points
- David Hockney, 'the Picasso of our times', dies aged 88
- The Independent's Geordie Greig on Hockney: 'Art's ultimate rockstar and a brilliant friend'
- Sir Keir Starmer: 'Hockney's instantly recognisable work influenced generations of artists'
- Jenny Eclair leads tributes: 'The world is a sadder, greyer place without him'
David Hockney condemned 'priceless' Bayeux Tapestry's risky move as 'madness'
14:49 , Lauren Morris
Just months before his death, David Hockney wrote exclusively for The Independent to protest against the Bayeux Tapestry being moved from France to the British Museum in London.
The artist was strongly against transporting the 1,000-year-old work of art, describing it as “too big a risk”.
“Why does a London museum, which prides itself on conserving and preserving great art, want to gamble on the survival of the most important art image of scale in Europe?” he wrote.
“It is madness. I am not afraid to speak up for art. It is something that has defined my life for more than eight decades. Love life. Use two eyes.”
The Independent's Geordie Greig on Hockney: 'Art's ultimate rockstar and a brilliant friend'
14:37 , Lauren Morris
The Independent’s editor-in-chief Geordie Greig has remembered his “funny, original, surprising and generous” friend David Hockney in a moving tribute.
Having first interviewed “art’s ultimate rock star” as a school boy, Greig opened up about his 49-year friendship with Hockney – who “seduced the world” with his instantly recognisable works.
“No artist made so much of what was in plain sight and elevated it to art since Van Gogh with his chairs and fields,” Greig writes.
“David signed off his emails with ‘love life’. And he did just that. He was a friend I will miss deeply. As godfather to my daughter Monica he was kind and generous.
“His portrait of her with the words ‘My friend Monica looking serious’ was David as he always was to everyone he met: optimistic and always making art his opportunity and a vision for the world. I mourn him and now celebrate him and his life and his warmth and his work.”
You can read Greig’s full tribute here.
David Hockney's final exhibition was 'a message of hope in a desperate world'
14:10 , Lauren Morris
The British artist released his final exhibition in March at London’s Serpentine gallery, featuring his largest-ever work: A Year in Normandie.
Created using the iPad’s Brushes app, the piece was inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and captures the changing seasons at Hockney’s former studio in Normandy.
It received a five-star review from The Independent, with Mark Hudson writing that the exhibition “offers a message of hope to a desperate world”.
“Its immersive evocation of the renewal not only of nature, but of art and life itself, couldn’t have arrived at a better moment,” he added.
Culture Secretary says Hockney a 'true titan of British art'
14:00 , Lauren Morris
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has paid tribute to “true titan of British art” Hockney, tweeting that she’s “very sad” to hear of his death.
“Born and educated in Bradford, his paintings have inspired people across the world ever since his first exhibition in 1963. His boundless creativity and restless spirit leave behind a powerful legacy,” she wrote on X.
Very sad to hear of the passing of David Hockney, a true titan of British art.
— Lisa Nandy MP (@lisanandy) June 12, 2026
Born and educated in Bradford, his paintings have inspired people across the world ever since his first exhibition in 1963. His boundless creativity and restless spirit leave behind a powerful legacy
Sir James Dyson honours friend and 'creative genius' with moving tribute
13:55 , Lauren Morris
Sir James Dyson, who studied at David Hockney’s alma mater the Royal College of Art, has paid tribute to the “creative genius”. Hockney graduated from the art school in 1962, four years before Dyson did the same.
Speaking to BBC News, the Dyson founder said: “I was lucky to have been at the Royal College of Art shortly after him, following in the wake of his artistic energy.
“I will always recall his charming Yorkshire voice explaining in his unique and articulate way his approach to art.”
He added: "I remember a lunch with him in Paris, where he revealed his iPad which had been hidden in a poacher’s pocket. He inspired every one of us with his bold realism, his perceptive colours, and his breathtaking iPad paintings.”
Hockney on death: 'It could be an adventure'
13:45 , Lauren Morris
Speaking to The Independent in 2023, the artist revealed that the idea of dying did not worry him. “I don’t know what will happen. It could be what I have described: an adventure,” he said.
He took the same approach to life, adding: “I don’t do regret. I do NOW. All artists do.”
Tate Britain boss confirms Hockney exhibitions will go ahead in tribute: 'An endlessly inventive artist'
13:30 , Lauren Morris
Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson has confirmed that a major Hockney exhibition at the gallery and another installation at the Tate Modern will still be held despite his death.
In a tribute, Farquharson said that the institution is “greatly saddened” by his death, adding: “David was an endlessly inventive artist, with a unique vision of the world. He was always completely and courageously himself, both in his work and in life.
“He taught us about the joy of looking, seeing things the rest of us failed to notice - his witty and sharp observations a constant presence within his work and in person. The loss to the art world is immense: David's passing brings to a close an extraordinary body of work characterised by reinvention.”
He added that the Tate will be “working closely with David’s team to realise the two projects he was preparing for next year”.
France remembers former resident Hockney as 'absolute master'
13:20 , Lauren Morris
French figures have taken to social media to celebrate Hockney, who lived in Normandy in his later years.
The mayor of Nice, Eric Ciotti, wrote on X that “the art world has lost an absolute master”, adding: “Nice cherishes the memory of the exceptional bond he shared with Henri Matisse, his mentor.”
The X account for the Normandy Region also paid tribute, calling him a “source of inspiration”.
Hockney told The Independent in 2023 that moving to Normandy was a creative catalyst that gave him a “new lease of life”.
Mayor of London calls Hockney a 'true icon'
13:00 , Lauren Morris
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has hailed Hockney as a “revolutionary of British art who never stopped reinventing his work”.
“From his training at the Royal College of Art in the early 60s to blockbuster London retrospectives, David Hockney has inspired millions,” he wrote on X. “His vivid paintings of our changing seasons helped me see the beauty and fragility of our natural world - and why it must be protected.
“I know his legacy will live on for centuries to come.”
Sir Keir Starmer: 'Hockney's instantly recognisable work influenced generations of artists'
12:40 , Lauren Morris
Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to David Hockney, describing him as “one of Britain’s most celebrated artists”, Downing Street have siad.
A spokeswoman for No. 10 said: “The Prime Minister is saddened to hear of the death of David Hockney, one of Britain’s most celebrated artists.
“His vivid, instantly recognisable work influenced generations of artists, and the Prime Minister’s thoughts are with his friends and family.”
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How Hockney 'got away with' exploring gay themes while homosexuality was illegal
12:15 , Lauren Morris
Hockney came out as gay aged 23 while studying at the Royal Academy of Arts – seven years before homosexual acts were decriminalised in Britain.
The law didn’t stop him from exploring themes of gay love in his work, with the artist painting the celebrated Domestic Scene, Los Angeles in 1961 and We Two Boys Together Clinging two years later – which he described as “homosexual propaganda”.
“[Hockney] took up gay subject matter before anyone else,” remarked novelist Edmund White, “and the amazing thing is that he got away with it.”
Earlier this month, Hockney was honoured in The Independent’s Pride List for 2026, celebrating the LGBTQ+ people making change happen.
Amol Rajan pens lengthy tribute: 'What a life, and what a legacy'
12:00 , Lauren Morris
Former Today programme host Amol Rajan has called Hockney “the greatest British artist of his generation” in a moving Instagram post.
Describing him as “the Grammar School boy from Bradford who refused National Service on grounds of pacifism, called himself an anarchist socialist” and “never let go of his Yorkshire accent”, Rajan praised the artist’s rich legacy.
“Openly gay long before it was easy to be, Hockney became an emblem of sexual liberation. His claustrophobia led him to the sunny expanse of the Golden State; the partial deafness he inherited from his father, which worsened in his 40s, perhaps accentuated his appreciation of colour,” he wrote.
“It’s sometimes said that loneliness was the key theme uniting his work over 7 decades. I think it was a quiet dignity. Very English...What a life, and what a legacy.”
Piers Morgan praises 'neighbour' Hockney: 'One of Britain's greatest ever artists'
11:37 , Lauren Morris
Broadcaster and journalist Piers Morgan has paid tribute to Hockney, who was his neighbour in Kensington and “a wonderful character”.
“One of Britain’s greatest ever artists, a Yorkshireman to his bootstraps, my neighbour in Kensington (often saw him on local manoeuvres, albeit in a wheelchair more recently) and a wonderful character,” Morgan wrote on X.
“Loved his quote: ‘Laugh a lot, it clears the lungs.’”
Jenny Eclair leads tributes: 'The world is a sadder, greyer place without him'
11:30 , Lauren Morris
The comedian and actor took to Instagram to pay tribute to Hockney, hailing him as a “true artist”.
“David Hockney has died – I expected him to live forever – which he will,” she said. “He was such an inspiration from his early work right up to the iPad art and his yellow crocs – the world is a sadder, greyer place without him.”
“What a triumphant, important life,” she added.
Hockney on his seminal swimming pool series: 'Painting moving water was very appealing'
11:20 , Lauren Morris
Hockney’s move to Los Angeles in the Sixties resulted in some of the most recognised works of the 20th century – with his depiction of mesmerising turquoise swimming pools and golden sunbathers capturing the city’s dazzling brightness.
The idea of painting moving water in a very slow and careful manner was (and still is) very appealing to me,” he said. “It is a formal problem to represent water, to describe water, because it can be anything – it can be any colour, it’s movable, it has no set visual description.”
His 1972 piece, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), sold for a record-breaking $90m (£70m) in 2018 – making it one of the most expensive works by a living artist ever sold at auction.
It came after his first two pool-related paintings: The Splash and A Bigger Splash, both in 1967.
David Hockney: ‘The Picasso of our times’
11:06 , Lauren Morris
David Hockney, one of the most influential contemporary artists of the 20th and 21st century, died peacefully at home on Thursday (11 June), his representative have said.
His five-decade career has been widely celebrated, with curator Sir Normal Rosenthal telling The Independent last year that he is “the Picasso of our times”.
“When there is a Picasso show at the Tate, there are queues around the block; the same with David. Both really looked, and showed what they saw, and brought joy,” he said.
