The art world has been paying tribute to David Hockney following the death of the celebrated British artist at the age of 88.
Hockney, widely regarded as one of the most influential and important artists of the modern era, died peacefully at home on Thursday, his publicist confirmed.
As news of his death broke, fellow artists, cultural figures and admirers shared tributes to the Bradford-born painter, whose career spanned more than seven decades.
However, the BBC found itself facing criticism after an on-screen error during a lunchtime news bulletin mistakenly stated that Hockney had "resigned".
During the broadcaster's 1pm news programme, a graphic accompanying coverage of the artist's death appeared with the caption: "David Hockney resigns".
The blunder was quickly spotted by viewers, who took to social media to question how the mistake had made it to air.
"The BBC seemed confused at lunchtime," wrote one viewer on X. "They put up a caption 'David Hockney Resigns'".
Another penned: "Well done the #bbc apparently David Hockney has resigned from life, otherwise known as died. Who is in charge of this?"
"There must be some embarrassment at BBC 1 news this afternoon," a third wrote. "BBC headline caption said 'David Hockney resigns'…resigns from life that is…the iconic artist has died at the age of 88. Perhaps their error was down to so many government resignations these past few weeks."
The acclaimed British artist died at the age of 88, his publicist has said. Hockney, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern British art, died peacefully at home, just weeks before his 89th birthday.
Over a career spanning more than seven decades, he became renowned for constantly reinventing his artistic practice, working across painting, printmaking, photography, stage design and, in later years, digital art.
Among his most celebrated works are A Bigger Splash (1967), the iconic swimming pool painting that came to define his California period, and My Parents (1977), one of his most acclaimed portraits.
A statement said: "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."
It added: "David Hockney's enduring legacy reflects his underlying enthusiasm for life, his outstanding sense of humour, his immense generosity, and his investigative curiosity encapsulated by his signature phrase, Love Life. Details of memorials will follow in due course."
