An early work by David Hockney, created when he was 19 and still a student at Bradford School of Art, sold for £40,000 at Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on 13 June. The mixed media piece, titled *Bolton Junction, Eccleshill, Bradford* (1954), had been expected to fetch between £7,000 and £10,000. It was auctioned by the family of Malcolm Riley, Hockney's perspective tutor, who bought the work from the student's end-of-year show. The sale occurred two days after Hockney's death, adding poignancy to the auction.
The sale matters because it underscores the enduring market demand for Hockney's work, even from his earliest student period, and highlights the personal connection between the artist and his teacher. The piece's fourfold increase over its estimate reflects Hockney's status as a major figure in 20th-century British art and a Yorkshire icon. The auction also draws attention to the artist's formative years at Bradford School of Art, now part of Bradford College, and the lasting value of works acquired directly from young artists.