Artist david hockney dies at 88, leaving a legacy of pop art and opera innovation

David Hockney, one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, died peacefully at his home in London on June 11, 2026.

A prolific career spanning seven decades

From his early days as a key figure in the Pop Art movement of the 1960s to his later explorations of digital media, Hockney's work covered painting, photography, printmaking, collage, and more. His passing at 88 marks the end of an era for the Art world.

Hockney's iconic images, such as A Bigger Splash (1967), have become indelible symbols of California cool – capturing the sun-drenched glamour of modernist homes and swimming pools in vivid, flat planes of color.

But Hockney's artistic range extended far beyond still-life paintings. He also designed sets, costumes, and lighting for numerous opera productions, including collaborations with the Metropolitan Opera, the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, and the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden.

In a statement, his publicist Erica Bolton confirmed the news, though no cause of death was given. Hockney is survived by his long-time partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima.