Lucian Freud - Lucian Freud 32 Etchings: From an Important American collection London Wednesday, October 14, 2015 | Phillips
  • Provenance

    The Artist
    Matthew Marks Gallery, New York
    Private Collection

  • Exhibited

    New York, Museum of Modern Art, Lucian Freud: The Painter's Etchings, 16 Dec 2007 - 10 Mar 2008 (another impression exhibited and illustrated p.92)

  • Literature

    Starr Figura 61
    Sebastian Smee 44

  • Artist Biography

    Lucian Freud

    British • 1922 - 2011

    Renowned for his unflinching observations, Lucian Freud is considered one of the greatest figurative artists. He pushed the boundaries of decorum in terms of classical portraiture and nudes in order to explore his lifelong concern to honestly render the human figure, in what he called his "naked portraits."

    In his paintings, Freud's layers of impasto jabs of paint create a surprisingly delicate, translucent depiction of flesh, while his etchings employ an economy of line that implies the figure more than it illustrates it. Charismatic but irascible, Freud worked only from sitters that he knew, consistently focusing on translating his direct perceptions. The resulting portraits are redolent with a stark and evocative psychological intensity, underpinned by an unexpected tenderness towards the subject.

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29

Portrait Head

2001
Etching, on Somerset Textured paper, with full margins,
I. 59.7 x 47.3 cm (23 1/2 x 18 5/8 in.)
S. 72.4 x 57.2 cm (28 1/2 x 22 1/2 in.)

signed with initials and numbered 9/46 in pencil (there were also 12 artist's proofs), published by Matthew Marks Gallery, New York, framed.

Estimate
£18,000 - 25,000 ‡♠

Sold for £18,750

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Lucian Freud 32 Etchings: From an Important American collection

London Auction 15 October 2015