The quiet streets of Bridlington were lined with mourners this morning as David Hockney, the artist who painted the soul of modern Britain, was laid to rest. A private ceremony at St Mary's Church saw family, close friends, and a handful of locals pay their respects to the man who brought colour to the mundane. The funeral, described by organisers as 'intimate and fitting', was a stark contrast to the global outpouring of grief that followed his death last week.
Hockney, 87, died peacefully at his home in the Yorkshire seaside town where he had lived for the past decade. His passing marks the end of an era for British art, but for the people of Bridlington, it is a personal loss. Margaret Thompson, 72, who ran the local café where Hockney was a regular, said: 'He was just Dave to us.
He'd come in for a cuppa and sketch on napkins. The world saw a genius, but we saw a kind man who never forgot his roots.' The service included a rendition of 'The Red Flag' – a nod to his working-class upbringing in Bradford – and a reading from his favourite poet, John Betjeman.
Outside, floral tributes in the shape of swimming pools and sunflowers referenced his most famous works. Meanwhile, in London, the National Gallery opened a new wing dedicated to his pieces, drawing crowds of thousands. But for those who knew him best, today was about saying goodbye without the glare of cameras.
As the coffin, painted in Hockney's signature shades of blue and green, was carried out, a single ray of sunlight broke through the clouds. It was, as one onlooker whispered, 'a Hockney sky'.