# David Hockney artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/david-hockney/
Profile generated: 2026-04-29T01:05:40.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1937-07-09
- Nationality: British
- Movements: Pop Art
- Common media: Oil painting, Acrylic painting, Lithography, Etching, Photography, Photographic collage, Watercolor, Drawing, Digital art (iPad/iPhone), Stage design

## About David Hockney

David Hockney (born 9 July 1937, Bradford, West Yorkshire) is a British painter, printmaker, draughtsman, photographer, and stage designer widely regarded as one of the most influential British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. He came to prominence as a key contributor to the Pop Art movement in the 1960s while studying at the Royal College of Art in London. Hockney is known for his restless experimentation across media, moving fluidly between oil and acrylic painting, watercolor, lithography, etching, photographic collage, and digital drawing on iPad and iPhone. His work spans iconic California swimming-pool scenes, psychologically penetrating portraits, sweeping Yorkshire and Normandy landscapes, and ambitious stage designs for opera. Major public collections holding his work include Tate, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Centre Pompidou. He maintains an active studio practice and continues to produce new work.

## Common works and media

Collectors and appraisers most commonly encounter Hockney's lithographs and etchings (including the A Rake's Progress and Blue Guitar series), signed limited-edition prints, watercolor and ink drawings, photographic collages and composite Polaroids, and iPad/iPhone digital drawings. Original oil and acrylic paintings, including pool scenes, double portraits, and landscape compositions, appear less frequently at auction and command premium values. Stage design maquettes and costume studies also surface in specialist sales.

## Market and appraisal context

David Hockney maintains one of the deepest and most liquid secondary markets of any living artist, with 2,660 recorded auction lots and 1,896 priced results spanning from November 1992 to April 2026. The market is exceptionally broad in price: realized prices range from $1 for ephemera and posters to $90.3 million for museum-quality paintings. The interquartile spread ($700–$17,000) captures the bulk of print and works-on-paper activity, while the median of $4,000 reflects the large volume of editioned lithographs and etchings that trade regularly. Original paintings command a separate tier entirely—illustrated by the Bonhams sale of Courtyard, Palace of Carlos V, Alhambra, Granada (Second Version) (2004) at $1.1 million in November 2025. Major houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Phillips, and Freeman's | Hindman compete for consignments alongside a wide network of mid-tier and regional houses (Tate Ward, Eldred's, John Moran, Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Hill Auction Gallery). Auction liquidity remains strong with 392 lots in the trailing 12 months, though this is down from 512 in the prior period—potentially reflecting broader market cooling or consignment timing. The breadth of categories—Post-War and Contemporary Art, Prints and Multiples, Works on Paper, and Photographs—means collectors encounter Hockney across virtually every sale context.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

David Hockney maintains one of the deepest and most liquid secondary markets of any living artist, with 2,660 recorded auction lots and 1,896 priced results spanning from November 1992 to April 2026. The market is exceptionally broad in price: realized prices range from $1 for ephemera and posters to $90.3 million for museum-quality paintings. The interquartile spread ($700–$17,000) captures the bulk of print and works-on-paper activity, while the median of $4,000 reflects the large volume of editioned lithographs and etchings that trade regularly. Original paintings command a separate tier entirely—illustrated by the Bonhams sale of Courtyard, Palace of Carlos V, Alhambra, Granada (Second Version) (2004) at $1.1 million in November 2025. Major houses including Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Phillips, and Freeman's | Hindman compete for consignments alongside a wide network of mid-tier and regional houses (Tate Ward, Eldred's, John Moran, Los Angeles Modern Auctions, Hill Auction Gallery). Auction liquidity remains strong with 392 lots in the trailing 12 months, though this is down from 512 in the prior period—potentially reflecting broader market cooling or consignment timing. The breadth of categories—Post-War and Contemporary Art, Prints and Multiples, Works on Paper, and Photographs—means collectors encounter Hockney across virtually every sale context.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily uses these auction records as one input alongside photos, dimensions, medium identification, signature verification, condition reports, provenance documentation, and edition details (number, size, and whether the work is signed and numbered). For Hockney, matching the specific work to the correct market tier is critical: an original oil or acrylic painting, a unique work on paper, a signed limited-edition lithograph or etching, a photographic collage, or a digital iPad drawing each occupy distinct value bands. Edition size, plate vs. state, and hand-coloring significantly affect print values. Provenance and exhibition history are especially important for paintings and unique works. The price distribution here—median $4,000 but maximum $90.3 million—underscores that a single comparable-lot search is insufficient; appraisals must filter by medium, period, dimensions, and edition details to identify relevant comparables. All realized prices should be confirmed against the specific sale record and currency conversion date.

### Valuation factors

- Medium is the primary value driver: original paintings (oil/acrylic) command the highest tier, followed by unique works on paper, then signed limited-edition prints, with posters and ephemera at the lower end
- Period and series: early 1960s Pop Art works, California pool paintings (1964–1982), double portraits, and large-scale landscapes are among the most sought-after; later iPad works are still establishing market position
- Edition specifics for prints: edition size, medium (lithograph vs. etching vs. aquatint), plate number, hand-signature, and numbering all materially affect value
- Provenance and exhibition history are significant for paintings and unique works, especially those with gallery or museum exhibition records
- Condition: foxing, fading, creasing, or restoration can materially reduce value, particularly for works on paper and prints
- Dimensions and scale: large-scale works command disproportionately higher prices across all media
- Signature and authentication: signed works trade at a premium; undocumented or unsigned examples require additional verification
- Currency and sale location: results span USD, GBP, EUR, and CAD; currency conversion and regional demand differences must be considered when selecting comparables

### Collector notes

- Hockney's market offers entry points across a wide range. Signed lithographs and etchings from well-known series (A Rake's Progress, The Blue Guitar, pool-themed prints like My Pool and Terrace) trade in the $1,000–$20,000 range and appear regularly at both major and regional auction houses. Posters, books, and ephemera with signatures can be found under $500 but are at the collectible rather than fine-art end of the spectrum. For mid-range buyers, unique works on paper—including portraits, Celia studies, and landscape drawings—offer strong artist representation in the $2,000–$18,000 band. Serious collectors pursuing original paintings should expect to compete at major houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Bonhams, Phillips) where museum-quality works routinely achieve six and seven figures. The trailing 12-month lot count (392) versus the prior year (512) suggests slightly reduced volume, which may indicate tighter consignment supply rather than softening demand—collectors considering sale may find competitive consignment terms from major houses eager for quality Hockney material.

### Market caveats

- The price distribution is extremely wide ($1–$90.3 million) and multi-modal; the median ($4,000) reflects the dominance of prints and multiples, not the value of unique paintings.
- Many recent lots lack realized prices (shown as null), which means some sale results may be unpublished, bought-in, or post-sale negotiated; the priced-lot subset (1,896 of 2,660) should be treated as the reliable statistical sample.
- Currency mixing (USD, GBP, EUR, CAD) means median and percentile figures are approximate unless normalized to a single currency.
- The auction record index reflects lots where Hockney is the named artist; attribution should still be verified for individual works, especially unsigned prints and ephemera.
- The artist is living and actively producing new work; the market for recent production (especially iPad/digital works) is still maturing and may not track historical patterns.
- Prints and multiples represent a large share of auction volume; collectors should not assume that any Hockney at auction is a unique painting.
- Auction-house names in the record include both top-tier international houses and regional or online-only operations; the sale context affects reliability and price level.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/david-hockney/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable / Tate Ward Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-british-1937-hockney-s-pool-hollywood-hills-1978-ashtray-2024-37-c-28397e9447
- Invaluable / Hill Auction Gallery: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-b-1937-lightning-lithograph-signed-5-c-7d0043a745
- Invaluable / Auctions at Showplace: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-six-fairy-tales-brothers-grimm-53-c-9d87e983c8
- Invaluable / Sloane Street Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-british-b-1937-a-menu-from-the-hungry-horse-with-original-doodles-by-david-hockney-466-c-a95199b54c
- Invaluable / Kavanagh Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-british-born-1937-the-hypnotist-print-22-c-6d88cfa8db
- Invaluable / Hessink's: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-1937-143-c-682f3e91ab
- Invaluable / Bonhams: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-b-1937-courtyard-palace-of-carlos-v-alhambra-granada-second-version-29-1-2-x-83-in-74-9-x-210-8-cm-executed-in-2004-11a-c-c474da292b
- Invaluable / Eldred's: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-new-york-california-england-1937-a-bigger-book-spine-width-3-6-cover-28-25-x-20-25-4169-c-4e078be65f
- Invaluable / Market Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-signed-david-hockney-pool-and-steps-poster-135-c-d94425e993
- Invaluable / Julien's Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-signed-original-self-portrait-drawing-on-a-marlboro-cigarette-box-21-c-3bc4348919
- Invaluable / Gilden's Art Gallery: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-original-hand-signed-etching-and-aquatint-british-1977-pop-blue-guitar-11444-c-7bf442387b
- Invaluable / DejaVu Estate Sales & Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-signed-exhibit-poster-brussels-35-251-c-a514c32a27
- Invaluable / DejaVu Estate Sales & Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-signed-exhibit-poster-brussels-35-251-c-9d74f0e941
- Invaluable / The Written Word Autographs: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-posters-rare-1st-edtn-vintage-1987-xlarge-collector-art-book-216r-c-5364643b03
- Invaluable / Los Angeles Modern Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-untitled-for-joel-wachs-113-c-1aa4712b1b
- Invaluable / Freeman's | Hindman: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-british-b-1937-celia-seated-in-an-office-chair-1974-27-c-2814e6c949
- Invaluable / Eldred's: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-new-york-california-england-1937-my-pool-and-terrace-1983-color-etching-and-aquatint-on-woven-paper-29-x-42-framed-34-25-x-47-7003-c-ccf4cf49c1
- Invaluable / Adams Amsterdam Auctions: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-british-1937-peter-1969-414-c-70b41eeaa2
- Invaluable / John Moran Auctioneers: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-david-hockney-b-1937-celia-with-green-plant-1980-22-c-13d4d48870

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine artist identity research from museum, library-authority, and public-collection sources with auction records, auction-house context, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For David Hockney, identity and biographical data are grounded in the Library of Congress Name Authority File, VIAF, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, Tate, MoMA, and the artist's official site.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50034617
- RKD - Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/38654
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/103648062/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q159907
- David Hockney: http://www.hockney.com
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/david-hockney-1293
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/2678
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hockney
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500017273