Portrait of David Hockney’s beloved dachshund to be auctioned at Christie’s for the first time
The painting could sell for $3.3 million
The rare painting «Dog Painting 17» by British artist David Hockney is set to be offered at public auction for the first time. Auction house Christie’s will present the work in London on October 14. It is estimated at $3.3 million, according to «The Guardian».
The painting depicts one of Hockney’s beloved dachshunds, Stanley. The dog is peacefully asleep on his cushion, and at first glance, the scene appears wonderfully simple and domestic. For the artist, however, these works held a much deeper significance.
The story behind the «dog paintings» is connected not only to Hockney’s love for his pets. The artist began working on the series following the death of his close friend Henry Geldzahler. According to Hockney, he wanted to «depict something loving» — and his dogs became an embodiment of that feeling.
«Dog Painting 17» belongs to the renowned «Dog Paintings» series dedicated to Hockney’s two dachshunds, Stanley and Boodgie. The artist created around 40 paintings in the series during the 1990s. Christie’s describes the work as «extremely rare». According to «The Guardian», only around six paintings from the series are currently held in private collections, making the appearance of one at auction a notable event for the art world.
Interest in Hockney’s work intensified following the artist’s death in June 2026 at the age of 88. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he worked across a wide range of artistic styles — from Pop Art and realism to photo collages and multimedia experiments. He is regarded as one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century.
Hockney’s paintings have already set records on the art market. In 2018, his 1972 work «Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)» sold at Christie’s in New York for an astonishing $90.3 million.
Photo: Instagram @davivhockney.archive
