As British artist David Hockney dies at 88, who was his partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima?
Tributes have been paid to iconic British artist David Hockney who has died at the age of 88.
Voted the most influential British artist of the 20th Century, David Hockney has died at 88. His publicist 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.”
Tributes have been paid to David Hockney following his death. Piers Morgan took to X and wrote: “RIP David Hockney, 88.
“One of Britain’s greatest ever artists, a Yorkshireman to his bootstraps, my neighbour in Kensington (often saw him
on local manoeuvres, albeit in a wheelchair more recently) and a wonderful character. Loved his quote: ‘Laugh a lot, it clears the lungs.’
Described by Lucian Freud as “The Yorkshire Master” David Hockney grew up in the West Yorkshire market town of Bradford and was born to Laura and Kenneth Hockney in 1937. In an interview with The Telegraph in October 2025, David Hockney said: “I mean, now, being in London, not many people come round. I don’t really like people coming round too much. I prefer just to paint.
“I’m happiest when I’m painting. [Vincent] van Gogh was happiest when he was painting, but no biography can describe that, can they? So, they always make him out to be a miserable person. But he wasn’t miserable when he was painting, was he?”
In 2020 the auction house Christie’s posted about David Hockney on Instagram and wrote: “David Hockney gifted this beautiful print to actress Elizabeth Taylor, who treasured it in her collection for the rest of her life. “Who would you gift flowers to? 🌷 💐 .
“David Hockney (b. 1937), ‘Amaryllis in Vase, from Moving Focus’, 1985. Estimate: $60,000-80,000. Working from Home: Prints and Multiples Online Auction — 30 April – 14 May.”
In 2023, Harry Styles travelled to Normandy to be the subject of David Hockney and his portrait was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The painting of Harry Styles showed the star wearing an orange and red cardigan with a pearl necklace and blue jeans.
David Hockney studied at the Royal College of Art (RCA) and moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, he returned to Yorkshire in 2005, his painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures sold in 2018 at auction in New York for £70m. When it came to his romantic life, David Hockney came out as gay at 23 and went on to have relationships with art student Peter Schlesinger who he met while studying at UCLA.
David Hockney also had relationships with Gregory Evans and Ian Falconer, an artist and illustrator. Before his death, his longtime partner was Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, known as JP.