David Hockney's double portrait *Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy* (1968) sold for $44.34 million at Christie's New York on November 17, 2025, just shy of its $50 million high estimate. The sale ranks among the highest prices ever for the artist at auction. The article also reviews Hockney's top five auction results, including *The Splash* (1966), which fetched $29.92 million at Sotheby's London in 2020, and *Nichols Canyon* (1980), which sold for $41.07 million at Phillips New York in 2020. All five of Hockney's most expensive works have sold within the past seven years, reflecting sustained demand for his early and mid-career masterpieces.
This article matters because it underscores the enduring strength of David Hockney's market at age 88, with his most sought-after works now commanding eight-figure sums comparable to contemporaries like Gerhard Richter and Richard Diebenkorn. The sale of *Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy* also highlights a notable provenance story—the painting failed to sell for $625,000 in 1985 and remained in a private collection for 40 years before achieving over $44 million. Such dramatic price appreciation illustrates how market narratives around LGBTQ+ themes, art-historical significance, and scarcity can drive value in the contemporary art market.