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Editorial / Artists

The Lowdown on Investment: David Hockney

9 Feb 2023 | 5 min read

A painter, printmaker, photographer, designer, and writer. It's understandable why David Hockney is widely celebrated as one of the most inspiring living artists of our time. If you're looking to invest in art, continue reading to find out why you should be choosing David Hockney.

1. Iconic Artist


David Hockney is a highly acclaimed and influential artist, known for his contribution to the pop art movement and his distinctive style.

Whilst he may be most famed for his paintings, his range of works includes drawings, photographic collages and, most recently, digital works.

During the lockdown of 2020, he used his iPad to illustrate the arrival of springtime in Normandy and began reflecting on how technology has transformed his practice.

David Hockney, A Year in Normandie (2020-2021), detail, composite iPad painting

David Hockney, A Year in Normandie (2020-2021), detail, composite iPad painting

David Hockney via American Friends Musée d’Orsay

2. Timeless Appeal



Hockney's use of bright colours, bold lines, and engaging compositions make his work visually appealing and timeless. This means that his pieces are likely to remain popular and valuable for many years to come.

For instance, Hockney’s hallmark work A Bigger Splash - whilst capturing the scene of optimistic, post-war, 60s California remains prominent today being a star attraction at the Tate Britain in London.

David Hockney, A Bigger Splash (1967), acrylic on canvas

David Hockney, A Bigger Splash (1967), acrylic on canvas

David Hockney via TheArtWolf

“The moment you put down two or three marks on a piece of paper, you get relationships. They’ll start to look like something. If you draw two little lines they might look like two figures or two trees. One was made first, one second. We read all kinds of things into marks. You can suggest landscape, people and faces with extremely little. It all depends on the human ability to see a mark as a depiction.”

David Hockney, 2016

3. High Demand



Hockney's work continues to be in high demand with total sales of $590 million between 2015 and 2022. He is also the most valuable pop artist from the UK with a current auction record set in 2018 of $90 million.

Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) realised $90.3 million in November 2018 to become one of the most expensive works of art by a living artist ever sold at auction.

Following this outstanding record, his 1969 double portrait of Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott sold for £37.6m at Christie’s London in March 2019, having previously achieved a final price of $1.1 million 27 years earlier in 1992.

Hockney's Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) on display at Christie's in New York

Hockney's Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) on display at Christie's in New York

Don Emmert, AFP, Getty Images

4. Limited Edition Prints



Hockney has created high-quality limited edition prints of some of his most iconic works, making it easier for collectors to purchase and invest in his work at a more accessible price point.

Collectors can enjoy an array of Hockney’s digital iPad works in limited edition prints. Whilst this project was a lifeline for him, it also extended a necessary message of hope out to the public.

iPad Drawing No. 610, iPad Drawing No. 281, iPad Drawing No. 778 by David Hockney
iPad Drawing No. 610, iPad Drawing No. 281, iPad Drawing No. 778 by David Hockney
iPad Drawing No. 610, iPad Drawing No. 281, iPad Drawing No. 778 by David Hockney

iPad Drawing No. 610, iPad Drawing No. 281, iPad Drawing No. 778 by David Hockney

"We were in a house in the middle of a four-acre field full of fruit trees. I could concentrate on one thing. I did at least one drawing a day, with the constant changes going on all around the house. We managed. I was with Jonathan and J.P., and they went shopping and looked after me. They printed them out from the iPad and we began to put them up in the studio."

David Hockney, 2020

5. Widely Represented



Hockney's work is widely represented in galleries and museums around the world, and he is considered to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century. This widespread recognition and reputation adds to the value and investment potential of his work.

The Met Museum, The Hirshhorn Museum and The British Museum are just some of the many institutions that have acquired Hockney works in their collection. And despite being 85 years of age, there are no signs to say he may be slowing down.

This year, we can expect to see the largest ever solo exhibition of his works in Asia at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo as well as an immersive, personal journey through 60 years of his art in a brand-new space Lightroom in London.

Installation view of David Hockney's paintings at the Met Museum in New York, 2017.

Installation view of David Hockney's paintings at the Met Museum in New York, 2017.

Courtesy of the artist and the Metropolitan Museum of Art

David Hockney

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