At 87 years old, David Hockney remains one of the most influential and prolific artists of the modern era. While many would choose to slow down after a lifetime of achievement, the British painter continues to create with the same curiosity and dedication that have defined his remarkable career for more than six decades.
Today, Hockney faces significant health challenges. A lifelong smoker, he experiences respiratory difficulties that often leave him short of breath. His hearing, which first began to deteriorate in the late 1970s, has worsened considerably over the years, forcing him to rely heavily on lip-reading despite the use of hearing aids. His daily life is supported by round-the-clock nursing care, and in 2023, he relocated from his beloved home in Normandy, France, to London in order to remain close to medical facilities.
Yet none of these obstacles have diminished his desire to create.
For several hours each day, Hockney continues to paint, focusing his energy on new works and refining existing ones. This unwavering commitment to artistic expression forms the foundation of David Hockney, 25, a major retrospective opening at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Considered the largest exhibition ever dedicated to the artist, the show celebrates the extraordinary body of work he has produced during the past twenty-five years.
Rather than serving as a traditional retrospective focused on the distant past, the exhibition highlights Hockney’s creative vitality in the twenty-first century. It presents an artist who has never stopped experimenting, embracing new technologies, exploring fresh perspectives, and continuously redefining the possibilities of painting.
Working closely alongside his longtime companion, Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, known as JP, Hockney has played an active role in shaping the exhibition. Even in recent months, he continued producing new works intended for inclusion in the show, demonstrating a level of dedication that few artists maintain at this stage of their lives.
The exhibition will also feature some of Hockney’s most celebrated masterpieces. Among them is A Bigger Splash (1967), one of the defining images of post-war British art, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy (1970–71), widely regarded as one of the most important double portraits of the twentieth century. Visitors will also encounter Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures) (1972), a work that made headlines in 2018 when it sold for $90.3 million, setting a record auction price for a painting by a living artist at the time.
For Sir Norman Rosenthal, former exhibitions secretary of the Royal Academy of Arts and guest curator of the exhibition, Hockney’s output over the last quarter-century is nothing short of extraordinary. He has compared the artist’s relentless creativity to that of Pablo Picasso, citing the sheer scale, diversity, and consistency of his work.
What makes Hockney’s story particularly compelling today is not simply the magnitude of his achievements, but the resilience behind them. In a culture often obsessed with youth, speed, and constant reinvention, Hockney offers a different narrative—one rooted in persistence, curiosity, and lifelong creativity. His work continues to evolve because his desire to observe the world remains unchanged.
At Licence Magazine, we believe David Hockney represents something increasingly rare in contemporary culture: the idea that artistic greatness is not a moment but a lifelong practice. His continued dedication to painting, despite physical limitations and advancing age, serves as a powerful reminder that creativity can remain a vital force throughout an entire lifetime.
As David Hockney, 25 opens its doors in Paris, the exhibition stands not only as a celebration of one artist’s achievements but also as a testament to the enduring power of imagination, resilience, and artistic freedom.
