David Hockney exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton

May 05, 2025

David Hockney exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton

I visited the David Hockney exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton three different times! I've been a huge fan of his work since I was in art school in the early 70s. The exhibition is comprehensive, colorful (of course) and joyful. I could live there!

I was especially struck by the colors of the walls. They were totally unexpected but worked so incredibly well to highlight the works.


Early work: The First Marriage (1962)... on a red wall!

A Lawn Being Sprinkled (1967). Another red wall.

A Bigger Grand Canyon (1998)

Felled Trees on Woldgate (2008)

Paintings from Yorkshire, where Hockney was born.

Hockney has always painted portraits. This is Frank Gehry, architect.

A roomful of portraits on a strong blue wall! Richard Hockney (left), David's great-nephew.

Hockney's two full-time carers (in their nurses uniforms) and his sister (upper right)

Celia Birtwell, textile designer and Hockney's dear friend (upper left).

One of a series of "flower portraits" drawn on an iPad.

Normandy

In the 1980s, Gérard and I spent many weekends in the Pays d'Auge region of Normandy. We loved driving around on the Route du Cidre and looking at the rolling landscape and the manor houses. We always stayed at a bed and breakfast that we loved, run by Mme Delort.

La Boissière manor house, Mme Delort's beautiful home and B&B

In 2019, David Hockney bought a place in the exact same area. He lived and worked there for four years (including during Covid). Here are three of his many iPad paintings from the series 220 for 2020. The iPad pieces are so luminous, I thought they were lit from behind. They weren't!