David Hockney, one of the most acclaimed British artists in modern times, has sadly passed away aged 88 as announced by his publicist. He died peacefully at home, one month short of his 89th birthday.
Early Life and Education
The artist was born in Bradford in 1937, growing up in what he described as a 'radical working-class family'. He later studied at London's Royal College of Art, though his refusal to write an essay required for the final examination caused a stir at the college, as he believed he should be assessed solely on his artworks.
Career and Influence
Hockney came out as gay at 23 and used his experiences as a gay man to influence his early work. As he fostered his career in the art world, he soon moved to Los Angeles, where some of his most notable works were created. In November 2018, Hockney's 1972 masterpiece, Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures), sold for $90.3 million (£70.2 million) at Christie's, a world record for a living artist at the time.
Hockney produced other paintings that challenged Britain's laws against homosexuality, one of his earliest being We Two Boys Together Clinging, named after a Walt Whitman poem.
Personal Style and Legacy
Hockney's huge round spectacles, gentle Yorkshire accent, and bleached blond hair, replaced in later years by a series of flat caps, cultivated his image. He will forever be synonymous with Britain's Swinging Sixties.
Awards and Honors
He received several awards over the years, including the Order of the Companions of Honour and the Order of Merit. However, Hockney is believed to have turned down a knighthood on several occasions and once declined an invitation to paint a portrait of the Queen. He later designed a stained glass window at Westminster Abbey, which celebrated the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Unveiled in September 2018, the Queen's Window is located in the north transept of the Abbey and features a hawthorn blossom scene set in Yorkshire.
Speaking on his unrelenting work ethic throughout his career, Hockney told the BBC, 'You don't retire doing this. You just do it until you fall over.'
