His works delighted aficionados with their bright colours and dynamic ‘reverse perspectives’ to tease the eye …
Recognised as one of the most influential and defining figures in contemporary art, David Hockney’s remarkable seven-decade career was characterised by a sustained commitment to celebrating the world around him. Across painting, drawing, photography, opera and theatre design, and later through his pioneering embrace of digital media, he continually challenged conventions while remaining deeply engaged with the great traditions of art history.
His work was distinguished not only by its extraordinary innovation, but by its capacity to inspire us to look more closely and more joyfully at the everyday world.
The final years of David’s life were marked by an extraordinary creative vitality. Following the landmark exhibition David Hockney 25 at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, in 2025, he returned immediately to the studio and to painting with renewed vigour. The result was Some Very, Very, Very New Paintings Not Yet Shown in Paris at Annely Juda Fine Art, an exhibition that revealed perhaps the most developed stage yet in his exploration of “reverse perspective” as a pictorial device. Even after a lifetime of artistic achievement, he remained driven by curiosity and by the conviction that there was always something new to discover.
His enduring legacy extends far beyond the extraordinary body of work he leaves behind. Those who knew David remarked on his sense of humour, generosity, and irrepressible enthusiasm for life. These qualities informed every choice he made and touched all those fortunate to know him.
The words he lived by remain the most fitting way to remember him: “Love life.”
