David Hockney: Life, Art, Partner, and the Death Hoax Explained

Few British artists have captured the imagination—and the auction market—quite like David Hockney. From his shimmering pool paintings to his playful photo collages, he has been a fixture of modern art for over six decades, yet a persistent rumor keeps surfacing: is he still alive? The answer is a clear yes—and here’s the full story, grounded in fact and free from the myths.

Born: 9 July 1937 (age 87) · Nationality: British · Known for: Pop art, pool paintings, photomontage · Most famous artwork: A Bigger Splash (1967) · Most expensive painting sold: Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) – $90.3 million (2018) · Current residence: Normandy, France

The following table summarizes essential biographical details.

Who Is David Hockney?

David Hockney was born on 9 July 1937 in Bradford, England, the fourth of five children, according to the Kunstmuseum Luzern (Hockney exhibition curator). He attended art school in Bradford from age 16 and later studied at the Royal College of Art in London beginning in 1959 (Masterworks Fine Art (art biography specialist)). After graduating in 1957, he became a conscientious objector and worked as a hospital orderly for his National Service (Masterworks Fine Art (art biography specialist)).

Hockney is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated British artists, as described by the National Portrait Gallery (UK cultural institution). His early work in pop art and his move to California in the 1960s defined a signature style—lush swimming pools, bold color, and flattened perspective.

The implication: his longevity comes from creative restlessness, not a single iconic style.

What Is David Hockney’s Most Famous Piece of Artwork?

The painting that most people name is A Bigger Splash (1967), a 2.4-metre-wide depiction of a diving board and splashing water under a stark California sky. It became an icon of 1960s pop art and is housed at the Tate (Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference)). But the record-breaking work is Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) (1972), which sold for $90.3 million at Christie’s in November 2018 (Wikipedia (auction record entry)).

What Was David Hockney’s Most Expensive Painting Sold?

• Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) – $90.3 million (2018) (Wikipedia (auction record entry))
• Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Monica – $28.5 million (2018) (Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference))
• A Bigger Grand Canyon – $17 million (1998) (Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference))

Other notable works include the photomontage Pearblossom Hwy (1986) and the large-scale landscape A Bigger Grand Canyon (1998), both demonstrating his constant experimentation with perspective (Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference)).

The pattern: market value follows the intersection of personal narrative and technical innovation.

Who Is David Hockney’s Partner?

Hockney has been openly gay since he was about 23, according to Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference). His first major romantic relationship in the United States was with Peter Schlesinger, whom he met in the summer of 1966 while teaching at UCLA (Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference)). Schlesinger, then a 19-year-old art student, became Hockney’s lover and frequent subject—many of the pool paintings feature him.

Is David Hockney LGBTQ?

Yes. Hockney came out publicly early in his career and never hid his sexuality. His openness was unusual for the 1960s art world and directly influenced his choice of subject matter—from intimate portraits of partners to the erotic undertones of his California scenes (Kunstmuseum Luzern (Hockney exhibition curator)).

Who Is Peter Schlesinger?

Peter Schlesinger was Hockney’s partner from 1966 to the early 1970s. He appears in many of Hockney’s most famous works, including Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures). The relationship ended but left a lasting mark on Hockney’s output (Gerryco23 (Hockney biographical blog)).

Later, Hockney had a long-term relationship with Gregory Evans. According to the National Portrait Gallery (UK cultural institution), Hockney met Evans through Los Angeles art dealer Nick Wilder, and they began an intimate relationship in Paris in 1974. Evans became his lover, assistant, studio manager, and curator—and remained a consistent model for fifty years. Hockney created more than 40 portraits of him.

The consequence: his romantic history is not gossip but the key to decoding his most celebrated works.

What Happened to David Hockney?

This is the question that fuels the persistent death hoax. The short answer: nothing has happened to him—David Hockney is alive and actively working as of 2025. Despite recurring online rumors, there are zero credible reports of his death. The National Portrait Gallery (UK cultural institution) continues to feature his current work, and he maintains a studio in Normandy.

What Disability Does David Hockney Have?

Hockney has significant age-related hearing loss and wears hearing aids (Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference)). He has spoken openly about how hearing loss affects his perception of space and color—he compensates with heightened visual attention.

Is David Hockney Still Alive?

Yes, unequivocally. The death hoax appears to stem from a chain of internet misinformation that confuses him with other aging artists. No obituary or official statement from any family member, gallery, or institution supports the rumor.

The bottom line: the hoax says more about internet rumor dynamics than about Hockney’s actual mortality.

Where Does David Hockney Live Currently?

In 2019, Hockney relocated from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, to a farmhouse in Normandy, France (Wikipedia (encyclopaedic reference)). He also maintains a house in Los Angeles, where he lived for decades. The move to Normandy was driven by a desire for natural light and a quieter working environment.

His Yorkshire period (2002–2019) produced the Bigger Trees Near Warter series, large-scale landscapes that celebrated the English countryside. Today, his Normandy studio focuses on still life and landscapes drawn from his garden (Kunstmuseum Luzern (Hockney exhibition curator)).

The implication: reliable information exists for his public history, but private details remain guarded.

Quotes on David Hockney’s Life and Art

“David Hockney is one of the most celebrated and well-known British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.”

— National Portrait Gallery (curatorial statement, 2022)

“Hockney’s portraits of Gregory Evans document the closeness of their relationship over five decades.”

— Kunstmuseum Luzern (exhibition text, 2022)

Summary

David Hockney remains one of the most influential living artists, his work as vital at 87 as it was in the 1960s. The persistent death hoax says more about the internet’s appetite for false closure than about the man himself. For art collectors and fans, the real story is in his ongoing output—a career that keeps adding chapters. Hockney’s paintings remain the ultimate rebuttal to the rumors.

För den som vill fördjupa sig i hans konstnärskap och liv finns det en omfattande artikel om David Hockneys biografi och konst som täcker hans tidiga verk och senare år.

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