David Hockney has died at the age of 88, his publicist announced today. The artist recently celebrated his illustrious career with a new show in Paris

David Hockney has died at the age of 88, his publicist has announced.

The celebrated artist's death was announced today. Throughout his lengthy career of seven decades, David was known as one of the most successful British artists. He sadly died yesterday peacefully at home, his publicist confirmed in a statement.

It read: "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."

Earlier this year, Hockney celebrated his new show in Paris with a new interview, where he discussed his poor health. The exhibition included more than 450 works as well as some of his most famous works from earlier in his career.

Joined by his two full time carers in Paris, he said of the show: "I think it's terrific myself. I am nearly 88 years old, so it should be. I mean, they came to me about two years ago. I started planning it, but I just thought I probably wouldn't be here. I was 86 and I'm still a smoker, a happy smoker, fed up of bossy people telling you what to do."

Born in 1937 and one of five children, Hockney sold his first painting of his father for £10 in 1957 after leaving school. He went on to study at the Royal College of Art and had dedicated himself to improving his drawing skills at art school, although he clashed with some of the posher students.

What would his younger self - who grew up in Yorkshire - say about his success? "He'd have thought it was pretty daft. I just go on because I've always really ignored the money. I want to work every day, and I do, but there's not, perhaps that many people would do that. I’ve always thought I was rich," he said.

It was, however, his move to Los Angeles in 1964 which brought the decisive shift in his work that was to truly make his reputation. In contrast to drab, buttoned-up post-war Britain, he was from the start intoxicated by both the brilliant sunlight and hedonistic freedoms he found in California.

2The moment I got to America I thought ‘This is the place,'" he later said, "I was drawn towards California, which I didn’t know… because I sensed the place would excite me. No doubt it had a lot to do with sex.”

After taking a job teaching drawing at the University of California at Santa Cruz, he began a relationship with a 17-year-old student, Peter Schlesinger, who also became his muse. It was in this period – influenced by the hard clean lines and vivid colours of American pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein – that he produced some of his most famous works.

Using the comparatively new acrylic medium, with strong, vibrant colours, he created a series of striking images of swimming pools – most notably A Bigger Splash – which seemed to encapsulate the allure of the state he called the “promised land”. He also painted one of the best-known of his many portraits – Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy – depicting his friends, the fashion designers Celia Birtwell and Ossie Clark, with their pet cat.

Hockney has been open about his health over the years and said he would be fine as long as he could still paint.

Speaking in 2023 to Sky Arts, he said: "All I need is the hand, the eye and the heart. I don't even need feet or legs! Haha. All you need is the hand, the eye and the heart. I think that's true for all art. I mean I walk slower, I have a bit of difficulty moving around. But that's not affecting my hand, my eye and my heart."

Hockney's great nephew Richard, who has sat for him many times for portraits, heartbreakingly revealed that the exhibition would keep him going "for a long, long time". He said: "I think this will keep him going for a long, long time, to be honest. He’s still full of life, he has still got the light in his eyes and I think the painting keeps him alive. As long as he can paint, he’s fine."

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