With over 400 works, the Fondation Louis Vuitton is devoting the most ambitious exhibition ever held about the British artist David Hockney. From sunny California to pastoral Normandy, a vibrant journey into the world of a genius of the visual arts.
Between April 9 and August 31, 2025, visitors can explore thirteen exhibitions at the Fondation Louis Vuitton featuring works by David Hockney. The extensive retrospective, which was curated personally by the artist, spans seven decades of creativity and includes an array of artworks such as paintings, sketches, collages, digital creations, and video installations.
The English painter shows himself to be a creator of shapes, a lover of colour and an insatiable explorer of perception. ‘It’s the biggest exhibition I’ve ever had,’ he enthusiastically declared. And also one closest to his heart.
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From California’s swimming pools to massive European facilities
The exhibition opens on the ground floor with the legendary works of his early years. From
Portrait of My Father
(1955) to
A Bigger Splash
(1967) and
Portrait of an Artist (Pool Featuring Two Individuals)
(1972), pop art icons rub shoulders with twin portraits such as
Mr. and Mrs. Clark along with Percy
(1970-1971) or
Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy
(1968). The alluring California charm of the ’60s and ’70s is captured through strong, flat colors, masterfully composed scenes, and dazzling cobalt hues.
Next, let’s explore the landscapes: particularly the
Grand Canyon
In his beloved Yorkshire, Hockney revives the essence of the English countryside. He turns a humble hawthorn bush into a visual spectacle akin to a fireworks display and captures the stages of life in grand-scale artworks.
Normandy as an outdoor studio for visual art creations
On the ground level, three galleries commemorate
homage to the Normandy area
, where the artist lives for part of the year. The installation
220 for 2020
features iPad-created visuals that capture the shifting lights throughout the seasons. It continues with a collection of artworks where the sky consists of lively brushstrokes, evoking the style of Van Gogh.
Finally,
La Grande Cour
In 2019, a collection comprising 24 ink illustrations, engages in conversation with the Bayeux Tapestry. This segment of the exhibit highlights Hockney’s ability to blend traditional techniques with innovative approaches. It also underscores his skill at examining ordinary subjects—an apple tree, a driveway, a garden—with his signature exuberant perceptiveness.
Paintings of people, plants, and digital verse
Exhibit 4 showcases approximately sixty contemporary portraits depicting acquaintances, loved ones, and self-representations, created using either acrylic paints or through an iPad. One section displays floral portraits presented within frames reminiscent of traditional artworks, blurring the boundaries between different artistic techniques. The subtle digitization process introduces a poignant sense of disruption. All these pieces come together harmoniously in this enveloping exhibit space.
25
th
In June 2022, Viewing the Flowers (Mounted)
In 2022, a paused creation reminiscent of an animated herbarium. This piece showcases the delicacy and imagination of an artist observing life with a blend of curiosity, occasional sadness, yet consistently brimming with passion.
Creativity in movement: melody, theater arts, divinity
The conclusion of your journey leads you into an area of resonance. Gallery 9 focuses on Hockney’s influences — Fra Angelico, Van Gogh, and Picasso — then transitions into a room styled as a dance hall, similar to those he frequently organized at his residence. This serves as a homage to
music, opera
And the delight of welcoming art into your space.
Gallery 10 shows his stage creations revisited with Studio 59 in a monumental installation. Finally, gallery 11 closes out the tour with his most recent works, inspired by Munch and Blake. These were largely reflections on the cosmos, faith and memory. Hockney’s latest self-portrait also hangs here, like a final signature.
David Hockney, 25
Be sure that they cannot cancel the spring.
9 April – 31 August 2025
Fondation Louis Vuitton
8, Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi,
Bois de Boulogne, 75116 Paris
+33 (0)1 40 69 96 00
www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr