The paint began peeling off the bottom of the reflecting pool just days after renovations. Hydrogen peroxide used to treat algae may be the culprit.

A David Hockney painting of a man in a pink jacket overlooking a sun-dappled swimming pool sold for $90.3 million at Christie’s in New York on Thursday—setting a record for a living artist at auction.

While some people claimed it was sabotage, it was more likely that the paint peeled off because hydrogen peroxide was poured into the pool to treat green algae. As of this writing, officials had not ...

A painting by British artist David Hockney sold for $90.3 million at Christie’s in New York, a record for a living artist at auction. Image: AFP/Getty A David Hockney painting of a man in a pink ...