Renowned British Artist David Hockney Dies at 88

June 12, (THEWILL) — British artist David Hockney has died at the age of 88, his publicist has confirmed.

He died peacefully at his home on June 11, 2026, just one month before his 89th birthday.

Hockney was one of the most influential British artists of the modern era and a leading figure in the 1960s Pop Art movement.

Born in Bradford in 1937, he studied at the Royal College of Art before rising to international fame in the 1960s.

He became widely known for his bright California pool paintings, including “A Bigger Splash”, which helped define his career.

In 2018, his painting “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” sold for nearly $90 million, setting a record for a living artist at the time.

He was also known for openly portraying gay domestic life in his work at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized in the UK, which was widely regarded as groundbreaking.

Hockney’s career spanned more than seven decades and included painting, photography, printmaking, and digital art.

Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson paid tribute, describing him as an “immensely important figure” and “one of the most successful and recognizable artists of our time.”

He added that Hockney was “an endlessly inventive artist with a unique vision of the world.”

He is survived by his partner, Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, and other close family members.