David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020
11 August - 26 September 2021
The Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, Burlington Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts
Tues–Sun: 10am–6pm
Tickets £19 – £21. Sign up for ticket updates. Everyone, including Friends of the RA members, must book a ticket before arriving.
Friends of the RA go free
In the midst of a pandemic, David Hockney RA captured the unfolding of spring on his iPad, creating 116 new and optimistic works in praise of the natural world.
• We have prioritised access for Friends and supporters but cannot guarantee access if time slots are fully booked.
• You can download a large print guide.
David Hockney RA is one of the most important British artists of the 20th century – and he remains one of the most inventive.
Throughout his career, he’s investigated new technologies and explored different ways to make art, beginning with his iPhone in 2007 before adopting the iPad and Stylus in 2010.
This new body of work – 116 works in total – has been ‘painted’ on the iPad and then printed onto paper, with Hockney overseeing all aspects of production.
As Hockney himself notes: working on the iPad requires the ability to draw and paint. Each work – which has been printed far larger than the screen on which it was created – allows you to see every mark and stroke of the artist’s hand.
Made in the spring of 2020, during a period of intense activity at his home in Normandy, this exhibition charts the unfolding of spring, from beginning to end, and is a joyous celebration of the seasons.
Opening exactly a year after the works were made during the global pandemic, this exhibition will be a reminder of the constant renewal and wonder of the natural world – and the beauty of spring.
Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London in collaboration with the Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels (BOZAR).
Supporters
Reviews
"A splash of pure joy amid the pandemic gloom"
The Times
"Hockney has shown again that painting nature is a resonant response to a great crisis"
The Guardian
"The artist’s lockdown masterpieces light up London"
Daily Mail
"The most cheerful exhibition in town"
Financial Times
Image gallery
No. 241, 23rd April 2020
No. 262, 28th April 2020
No. 259, 24th April 2020
No. 370, 2nd May 2020
No. 323, 13th May 2020
No. 339, 18th May 2020
No. 299, 29th April 2020
No. 147 , 5th April 2020
Related articles
The great art quiz of 2021
17 December 2021
How to paint 'en plein air' like Hockney and Constable
24 August 2021
How well do you know Hockney?
18 August 2021