A group of 17 iPad drawings by David Hockney, titled 'The Arrival of Spring,' sold for a combined £6.2 million ($8.3 million) at Sotheby’s London on Friday, more than doubling their high estimate. The record price for a print by the artist was broken three times during the sale, with the top lot—'The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 – 19 February'—reaching £762,000 ($1 million). Fifteen of the 17 works achieved record prices for the subject, and 65 percent of the drawings were bought online, with 40 percent going to American collectors.
The sale underscores Hockney’s enduring market appeal and the growing demand for digital art in the auction world. The white-glove result brought a spark to Frieze Week and contributed to Sotheby’s London’s running total of £240 million for modern and contemporary art over the past six months. It also highlights the commercial viability of works created on consumer technology, as Hockney’s iPad drawings continue to command strong global participation from collectors.