Influential and highly celebrated British artist David Hockney, renowned for his distinctive style, vibrant artworks and diverse career, has sadly died at the age of 88.
The English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer was truly a titan of British art – with a legacy spanning two centuries. Many critics and historians say the painter's contribution to and development of British art is among the most important ever seen.
Hockney was known for his popular scenes of Californian life, which drew inspiration from his trip to the city in 1964, and birthed the now iconic piece ‘A Bigger Splash’.
However, his varied and monumental body of work also shines a light on the British countryside and the beauty of nature, especially showcasing his fondness for Yorkshire landscapes.
Below are just some of the ways that David Hockney’s work has celebrated and showcased the wonderful diversity of our revered British landscapes over the years, both in exhibitions and through his memorable masterpieces.
David Hockney had hundreds of solo and group exhibitions over his 70-year career. We've rounded up a few standout ones below, which featured some of his most prominent nature-based works...
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David Hockney: The Joy of Nature exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum
This 2009 event took place at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and featured almost 50 of Hockney’s original works, displayed alongside 10 of Van Gogh’s original paintings and drawings. The exhibition drew parallels between the two artists, with both Van Gogh and David Hockney finding inspiration in nature and a seemingly shared ability to view and capture the world from a fresh perspective.
It perfectly encapsulated how Van Gogh inspired and influenced Hockney’s own approach to use more experimental perspectives, paired with bold colours and vibrant landscapes. A clear love affair with the beauty of nature comes through, depicted in wild landscapes, magnificent trees and countryside scenes.
David Hockney at Fondation Louis Vuitton
The "David Hockney 25" exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris was a retrospective covering over 400 works from 1955 to 2025, with the artist having a uniquely personal involvement in its curation.
In the spring of 2025, Fondation Louis Vuitton invited David Hockney to take over the entire building, a rare opportunity reserved for the likes of one of the most influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. The exhibit featured Hockney’s works in various mediums, from digital works on iPads to acrylic paintings and pencil drawings.
Nature’s importance to David shone through in this exhibition, seen first-hand in ‘A Bigger Canyon’ and many of his Yorkshire landscapes in a ‘spectacular explosion of spring’ – including the artist's 2009 piece ‘May Blossom on the Roman Road’ – depicting a burnt orange-toned road, lined with vibrant trees and bushes.
Tree (1968)
In his early work, David Hockney’s lithograph piece titled “Tree” showcased nature and all of its hidden depths, depicted by the iconic British painter with the use of lines and curves, and geometric shapes to produce an imaginative and thought-provoking finished art piece. This cubist-influenced style is among many favoured by admirers of his work.
Bigger Trees Near Warter (2007)
The love that Hockney has for his birthplace of Yorkshire, and of the British countryside in general, is celebrated once again in his piece titled “Bigger Trees Near Warter,” which depicts a coppice near the village of Warter in East Yorkshire. The landscape is captured just before springtime’s arrival, depicted by the appearance of buds on the trees and daffodils taking bloom.
The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate (2011)
Nature and countryside flowers are also frequently seen across David Hockney's artwork. These are showcased perfectly in ‘The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate’, a series comprising 52 pieces of art, documenting the changing of the seasons from winter to spring in Yorkshire. Hockney’s work was created digitally on an iPad and shows the ever-changing landscape of trees, leaves, flowers and nature over this timeframe.
Becky is a freelance journalist based in Somerset, UK, specialising in all things home, gardens, lifestyle, and entertainment. With a love of classic rom-coms and a penchant for romanticising her own everyday life, she enjoys embracing cosy, slow living with her family and their crazy Welsh collie, Cookie. Becky has been published in publications such as Cosmopolitan, The Independent, The Evening Standard, The Telegraph, Collider, Happiful Magazine, OK! And many more.
