Lucian Freud: Portraits

Lucian Freud, one of the foremost figurative artists working today, has redefined portraiture and the nude through his unblinking scrutiny of the human form. While most of his admirers are familiar with Freud’s thickly impasted paintings, few realise how integral etching has become to his art. This volume features principally his portraits executed as etchings. It presents an exceptional overview of Freud’s works on paper over a career that spans more than 60 years and highlights the artist’s unconventional approach to the printing medium. Standing the copper etching plate upright on the easel, Freud treats the plate like a canvas as he portrays his sitters – very often friends, family members, or fellow artists – by creating meticulous networks of finely etched lines. Among Freud’s most notable trademarks is his tendency to dramatically crop figures, isolating them against empty backgrounds. This juxtaposition creates a startling sense of psychological tension and formal abstraction.