The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris has finally unveiled its monumental David Hockney retrospective, showcasing nearly seven decades of the artist’s vibrant work. Spanning from 1950s portraits to 2020s digital experiments, David Hockney 25 offers an eclectic exploration of Hockney’s career across 11 unique galleries within Frank Gehry’s iconic building.
The exhibition opens with an emotional portrayal of Hockney’s father, created in 1955, and progresses through the time he spent in London as well as Los Angeles.
Works such as Berlin: A Souvenir (1962) and Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy (1968) exemplify Hockney’s imaginative investigations into identity and queer intimacy. In the 1960s and ’70s, Hockney also investigated the elements of form, color, and everyday life in his work, in particular portraiture and his iconic swimming pool images that defined this period.
The vibrant colors and carefully composed 1990s landscapes—painted in response to California’s Pacific Coast Highway and Nichols Canyon—are Hockney’s work immediately following the reference to the artist. After these large landscapes are the quieter works, painted on Hockney’s return to Yorkshire. These works maintain a quiet intensity or contemplation in the subject matter, which is the English countryside.
Some highlights are The Arrival of Spring (2013), an expansive 12-part charcoal series of images provocatively dealing with the changing light and manifestations of rebirth in the natural world. Hockney’s technical skill and range are immediately apparent in his ability to move between traditional media (charcoal, watercolor, oil) and digital processes (iPad and iPhone). The Four Years in Normandy section, featuring 220 iPad images created during the COVID-19 lockdown, may come across as more spontaneous or experimental.
Hockney’s portraits showcase friends, family, and celebrities in various media, highlighting his lifelong commitment to capturing human presence in all its complexity. The display also features his theatrical designs for operas from 1975 to the early ’90s, reflecting his passion for music and narrative, despite theater’s collaborative nature not being his favorite.
The exhibition culminates with Hockney’s recent self-portraits and works inspired by Blake and Munch, such as Play Within a Play Within a Play and Me With a Cigarette (2025), exploring legacy, self-awareness, and creativity. A neon sign at the entrance, “Do remember they can’t cancel the spring,” symbolizes Hockney’s enduring optimism and zest for life.
