David Hockney’s Pacific Study Leads Upcoming Phillips Auction

Painted shortly after Hockney settled in Southern California, the work captures the rhythmic movement of the Pacific. It departs from the controlled stillness of his earlier iconic pool series, favoring a theatrical, layered approach to space that mirrors his parallel work in opera set design. The composition utilizes flattened perspectives and luminous color to strip the landscape down to its essential energy, a process that directly paved the way for his later Very New Paintings.

This sale arrives as interest in Hockney’s market remains high, bolstered by recent auction successes in New York. Olivia Thornton, Deputy Chairwoman of Modern & Contemporary Art for Europe, noted that the event aims to bridge the gap between Post-War avant-garde figures and contemporary talent. The painting is currently on public display at the Phillips Berkeley Square galleries ahead of the auction, which begins at 2pm BST.