David Hockney, one of Britain’s most influential modern artists, has died at the age of 88, his publicist confirmed on Friday, June 12, 2026.
He died on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at his home in London. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.
Born in Bradford on July 9, 1937, Hockney rose to prominence in the 1960s as a leading figure in the British Pop Art movement before becoming globally recognised for his vivid depictions of life in California and his distinctive approach to colour, space and perspective.
His most famous works include A Bigger Splash, Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, and Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), which sold for $90.3 million in 2018, setting a then-record for a living artist.
Across more than six decades, Hockney worked across painting, drawing, photography, printmaking and stage design.
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In his later years, he expanded into digital art, producing widely acclaimed works on iPads and other electronic devices, further cementing his reputation as an innovator unafraid of new mediums.
He received several honours during his lifetime, including appointment to the Order of Merit, one of the United Kingdom’s highest civilian distinctions.
His works are housed in major museums and private collections around the world.
Tributes have continued to pour in from the global art community, with museums, curators and fellow artists describing him as a transformative figure whose work reshaped contemporary art and influenced generations of painters.
Hockney’s death marks the end of a career that helped define post-war British art and left behind a body of work regarded as among the most significant of the modern era.