An epic 70 metre art work by David Hockney, inspired by the Bayeux tapestry and the changing seasons in Normandy, is the star of a new landmark exhibition in London.
After moving to rural Normandy in 2019, British art icon David Hockney immersed himself in the rhythms of the countryside.
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Surrounded by orchards, winding lanes and shifting skies, the British artist spent months observing the changing seasons, often working en plein air. Armed with his now-famous Apple iPad, Hockney sketched and painted outdoors, capturing the subtle changes in light, weather and colour around his home.
Those daily observations eventually grew into one of the most ambitious works of his long career.
An epic 70-metre-long artwork by Hockney, inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry and the changing seasons in Normandy, is the star of a new landmark exhibition at London's Serpentine Gallery.
An epic homage to the Bayeux Tapestry
The exhibition, titled A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting, is curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, who is proud to be bringing Hockney's "magnum opus" back to the artist's own Kensington neighbourhood.
He says: "He always wanted to show A Year in Normandie in London because it's never been seen here. It's a magnum opus. It's one of his greatest works."
The Bayeux tapestry will be shown at London's British Museum, so it's perhaps fitting to bring an art work inspired by the historic tapestry to London at the same time.
Just like the tapestry, Hockney's work is best explored moving through the dark spaces of the gallery, watching the seasonal changes as winter melts in to spring.
Comprised of over 100 iPad paintings created during the pandemic, the works capture the shifting light and weather in the artist’s French garden across four seasons.
The show also features ten original paintings by Hockney - created with acrylic on canvas and not his iPad. The 88-year-old artist has painted these portraits of his family and carers.
Each piece is connected by a frontal composition and the recurring motif of a checkered tablecloth, reflecting Hockney’s belief that all figurative art on a flat surface is inherently abstract.
Innovation at 88-years-old
Art critic Tabish Khan says: "I think it's fair to say that David Hockney is like a national treasure. People love his work, and just his name attracts new audiences. But what I think we can all appreciate about him is as he's got older, he never stops innovating."
Khan thinks it's interesting to see Hockney reflecting on themes like seasonal changes: "I think for an artist as they get older, of course, they've got a lot of memory to lean back on and all their career that they've been through. But he's also living in the present. This is him living in Normandy, spending a year there, seeing how the seasons change. He's still enriched by nature, which I think is really beautiful and wonderful."
Extending the experience outdoors, a site-specific digital mural featuring a spring tree house is installed in the garden at Serpentine North.
'A Year In Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting' is free to the public and runs 12 March - 23 August 2026.
