Lucian Freud

Lucian Freud was a preeminent British figurative painter and draughtsman, renowned for his intensely psychological and unflinching portraits and nudes. A grandson of the pioneering psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, he became a central figure in the School of London, alongside contemporaries like Francis Bacon and Frank Auerbach. Over a career spanning seven decades, his work evolved from meticulously linear drawings to thickly impastoed paintings, establishing him as one of the most important artists of the 20th and early 21st centuries.

Early life and education

Born in Berlin to an Austrian Jewish family, he was the son of architect Ernst L. Freud and the grandson of Sigmund Freud. In 1933, following the rise of the Nazi Party, the family fled Germany and settled in London, where he later became a British subject. He studied briefly at the Dedham School of Art before attending Bryanston School in Dorset. His formal art training continued at the Central School of Art and Design and later at the Goldsmiths College in 1942–43. His early career was supported by influential figures like the poet and critic Stephen Spender and the painter Cedric Morris.

Artistic style and technique

Freud's early work, influenced by Surrealism and the linear precision of artists like Albrecht Dürer and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, featured carefully rendered figures and plants. A pivotal shift occurred in the 1950s, as he abandoned fine sable brushes for stiffer hog's hair brushes, adopting a more tactile and granular approach to paint. His mature style is characterized by a stark, analytical scrutiny of his subjects, often depicted in sparse, familiar settings like his Paddington studio. He worked almost exclusively from life, with sessions lasting many months, building up flesh with layers of impasto to create a raw, physical presence. This method is evident in his monumental nude of Leigh Bowery and his portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.

Major works and exhibitions

Significant early works include Girl with a White Dog (1950–51) and Hotel Bedroom (1954). His 1970s portraits of his mother, Lucie Freud, and the performance artist Leigh Bowery in the 1990s, marked key periods. The large-scale nude Benefits Supervisor Sleeping (1995), depicting Sue Tilley, achieved a record price at Christie's in 2008. Major retrospectives were held at the Hayward Gallery (1974), the Tate Britain (2002), and the National Portrait Gallery (2012). His work is held in major collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Tate, and the British Council.

Personal life and relationships

His personal life was complex and fueled his art, as he frequently painted those around him. He was married twice, first to Kitty Garman, daughter of sculptor Jacob Epstein, and then to Lady Caroline Blackwood. He had numerous children from various relationships. His circle included a wide array of London's cultural figures, from the writer Cyril Connolly and the artist John Minton to the financier Jacob Rothschild. He maintained intense, often demanding relationships with his sitters, who ranged from his children and lovers to friends like Francis Bacon and the performance artist Leigh Bowery.

Legacy and influence

Freud is considered a towering figure in post-war British art, whose commitment to the human form countered prevailing trends of abstract expressionism and conceptual art. His influence extends to generations of figurative painters, including Jenny Saville and John Currin. He received numerous accolades, including the Order of Merit and being made a Companion of Honour. His studio and working methods have been the subject of significant study, and his market presence remains formidable, with works achieving record prices at major auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's.

Category:British painters Category:20th-century British painters Category:21st-century British painters Category:Portrait painters Category:School of London