Renowned artist and francophile David Hockney dies aged 88
The famous painter lived some of his final years in Normandy
David Hockney (pictured inset) and his painting 'A Year in Normandy 2020-2021' (main image)
David Hockney and Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock
British painter David Hockney has died at the age of 88.
Mr Hockney's representatives said the artist had “passed away peacefully at home, on June 11, 2026, one month short of his 89th birthday," the BBC reported.
The artist, one of the best-known painters of his generation, spent much of his later years living and working in Normandy, painting and smoking freely in his garden.
A lifelong smoker, the artist moved to France in 2019 in part he said because of the strict smoking rules in California where he had been living before then.
The French region became both a refuge and a subject for the final chapter of the painter’s life. He spent his time in northern France, painting gardens, orchards, and changing skies.
Born in Bradford in 1937, Mr Hockney was one of the defining figures of Pop Art and one of the most influential British artists of his generation.
His work stretched across painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and later digital art. He became known for his bright colours, clear compositions, and his focus on how people see space, light and everyday life.
He spent much of the 1960s and 1970s in Los Angeles, where he created some of his most recognisable works, including swimming pool paintings such as his famous work 'A Bigger Splash' that captured the light and atmosphere of Southern California life.
In 2019, Mr Hockney bought a home in Normandy in northern France. He settled in a 17th-century house in the countryside just outside the picturesque village of Beuvron-en-Auge after spending time travelling through the region and being struck by its landscape and slower rhythm of life.
In interviews, he said he had become frustrated with strict smoking rules in the United States, especially in Los Angeles, where it was no longer easy to smoke in public spaces.
He said this made daily life feel more restricted, and he preferred France, where cafés, outdoor spaces and daily routines felt more open. He often summed it up as: “The French know how to live.” For him, it meant people in France take more time for meals, social life, and rest compared with Britain and the US.
In Normandy, he lived quietly but worked constantly. He painted the gardens, trees and fields around his house, often returning to the same views as they changed with the seasons.
His death was announced by his personal assistant and partner, Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima.
