SummaryDavid Hockney has died at the age of 88, his publicist says, just shy of his 89th birthday – see his life in pictures Hockney's essence was joy, writes BBC culture editor Katie Razzall. He taught us to celebrate the beauty of being alive – and his works live on The British artist is one of the most influential of the modern era and he was one of the leaders of the 1960s pop art movement In 2018, one of his swimming pool paintings, 'Portrait of an Artist', sold for nearly £70 million at auction – a record for a living artist Hockney's depictions of gay domestic life came when homosexual relationships were still criminalised – making it "nothing short of revolutionary", our LGBT and identities reporter notes Nabiha AhmedLive reporter Image source, Board of Trustees of the Science Museum via Getty ImagesDavid Hockney, who has died aged 88, used his life to craft a visual language that was unmistakably his own. The Bradford-born man rose to become one of Britain's favourite artists, and helped spearhead the 1960s pop art movement – using wartime Britain, California's vibrant lifestyle, and iPad paintings to become a master across mediums. Our earlier post collates some of his most notable works.He has been celebrated as a "true titan of British art" by Culture Secretary…
Published: June 12, 2026 12:41 pm
Source: BBC — Read original