ONE of Yorkshire’s most influential artists has died
David Hockney, one of the most celebrated and influential British artists of modern times, died at home on Thursday (June 11) at the age of 88.
Hockney, who was born in Bradford in 1937 and later lived in Bridlington, took inspiration from the landscapes of Yorkshire, including the Yorkshire Wolds.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Hockney’s Yorkshire – From the Wolds to Westminster, a lasting legacy
- Plane flips after forced landing in North Yorkshire field
Back in February 2011, an entire gallery wall of York Art Gallery was given over to a giant piece of landscape art where he painted his Bigger Trees Near Warter, on 50 smaller canvasses, which measured 15ft by 40ft when pieced together.
The artist attended its grand unveiling at York Art Gallery in 2011 and told reporters that his inspiration came whilst driving in the East Yorkshire countryside through the village of Warter.
He said he chose the subject after the trees caught his eye one day. "I drive around a lot. It was the trees themselves. I thought: 'I can make something of that'."
He painted it from life over six weeks, out in the cold of the East Yorkshire spring, on separate canvases, using a computer so he did not lose sight of the overall picture.
It was pretty cold at times, he admits. "But the people in the house [in the picture] kept bringing me out cups of tea."
It turned out to be one of York Art Gallery's biggest hits, attracting more than 130,000 visitors to see the works. Afterwards, it was exhibited at Hull's Ferens Art Gallery, where some 63,000 people saw it - a then record for the east coast gallery.
Bigger Trees is just one of hundreds of paintings by Hockney of his beloved Yorkshire Wolds, many of which were created on iPad, which have been displayed in galleries across the north, with another popular Wolds painting being Three Trees at Thixendale.
A statement to the Press Association 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.”
Share