Well, it’s been a little while since I made one of these entries, but, as you might imagine, they can be quite consuming of time and attention. But I enjoy them, and I hope that some of you guys are enjoying them, as well.
My next post is devoted to one of my favorite portrait painters, Lucian Freud. Born in Germany (grandson of Sigmund Freud), his family moved to Great Britain in 1933 during the ascent of Nazism.
He’s a very interesting figure in the modern art world. His work is uncompromisingly bold and obtrusive, rife with symbolism and, often depict aesthetically unconventional compositions and combinations of color. His specialty is fully nude portraits of both men and women, most of the models being friends and family – and many self-portraits.
It is rumored that Freud has fathered up to 40 illegitimate children, and while I don’t know that that has ever been ascertained in truth, he certainly has fathered many children – including the fashion designer, Bella Freud - with his many lovers over the course of his lifetime.
Lately, he has gained some popular renown for his controversial portraits of a pregnant (and nude) Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth (not nude
).
Okay, the work…starting, of course, with the early work…Early on his work was usually associated with the surrealists, but going into the 1950’s you can see that his technique slowly begins to take on the broad strokes and heavy textures of his later work.
Girl with a kitten, 1947
Girl in a white dress, 1947
Girl with leaves, 1948
Head of a woman, 1950
Girl with a white dog, 1951-52
John Minton, 1952
Francis Bacon, 1952 (fellow painter and Freud’s good friend until Bacon’s death in 1992)
Hotel bedroom, 1954
A young painter, 1957
Man in a mackintosh, 1957-58
Pregnant Girl, 1960-61
Baby on a green sofa, 1961
A painter, 1962
Man’s head (self-portrait), 1963
Interior with hand mirror (self-portrait), 1967
Naked girl asleep, 1967
Buttercups, 1968
A filly, 1970
Wasteground with houses, Paddington, 1970-72
Factory in North London, 1972 (I really love these urban exteriors he was doing in the ‘70’s)
Children’s playground, 1975
Annie and Alice, 1975
Frank Auerbach, 1975-76
The big man, 1976-77
The painter’s mother resting III, 1977 (he did many portraits of his mother in the 1970’s & 80’s.)
Naked man with rat, 1977-78
Rose, 1978-79
Naked man with his friend, 1978-80
Naked portrait with reflection, 1980
Blond girl, night portrait, 1980-85
Seated figure, 1980-82
Reflection (self-portrait), 1981-82
Bella, 1982-83
Man in a chair, 1983-85
Large interior W.11 (after Watteau), 1983-85
Two Japanese wrestlers by a sink, 1983-87
Naked woman on a sofa, 1984-85
Reflection (self portrait), 1985
Double portrait, 1985-86
Naked girl, 1985-86
Blond girl on bed, 1987
Girl with closed eyes, 1986-87
Painter and model, 1986-87
Woman holding her thumb, 1992
After Cezanne, 1999-2000 (yes, this painting has a peculiar shape – the upper left corner is actually a separate piece that was added on)
And I will wrap it up with a portrait of Freud by his painter friend, Francis Bacon. I'd like to devote a post to him next. Probably one of the most appreciated
and reviled painters of his generation.
Portrait of Lucian Freud on orange couch, 1965