RIP

David Hockney, beloved British artist behind 'A Bigger Splash,' dies at 88

Hockney was a leading figure in the art world, finding fame before the age of 30

Hockney tried out different techniques throughout his life, working consistently until his death

JUNE 12, 2026 11:20 AM EDTJUN 12, 2026, 11:20 AM EDT

David Hockney, one of the most influential artists of his generation, has died at 88. The news was confirmed by his publicist, who shared an obituary.

The BBC reported that Hockney died "peacefully," a month before his 89th birthday.

Hockney's publicist Erica Bolton called Hockney "one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the 20th and 21st centuries." A cause of death wasn't provided.

He was born in the North of England and spent much of his career in Southern California, with his painting centering on sunny views and suburbia. Hockney built a career of over seven decades, having a little bit of everything in his oeuvre, including classic portraits, landscape paintings, pop art, collage projects, photography, and digital sketching.

Hockney spent most of his career in Los Angeles, drawing inspiration from sunny settings

Later in his life, Hockney returned to Europe, inspiring him to pursue other subjects, finding inspiration in the woods and nature of his native Yorkshire.

“His work is admired — loved is not too strong a word — by the millions who, worldwide, flock to see it because it presupposes an expectation of pleasure,” reads an essay by the historian Simon Schama, which came out last year to accompany a Hockney exhibition in Paris.

More details about Hockney's long and prolific career

Hockney's career found success early, before he turned 30, with him becoming a prominent figure in the '60s art scene. At the time, he was known for his stylish round glasses and bleached blonde hair.

He lived out as a gay man before it was common for celebrities to embrace this, with him exploring his sexuality in paintings like “We Two Boys Together Clinging” and “Two Men in a Shower." These paintings came out in a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain.

His most famous painting was 'A Bigger Splash,' which inspired two movies

One of his most famous works is the painting "A Bigger Splash," released in 1967, depicting a swimming pool, a modern house, and a large splash of water created by an unseen figure. The painting has inspired much art, including a 70's film of the same name exploring the breakup of Hockney with Peter Schlesinger, and another movie released in 2015, directed by Luca Guadagnino.

Hockney is survived by his longtime partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, his great-nephew and studio assistant, Richard Hockney, and his brothers Philip and John. He has numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.