Lucian Freud is one of the most remarkable artists of his generation.
There have been numerous tributes to his life and work since his death last July. Each has helped to define his reputation as an artist that contributed to contemporary painting an intense, unashamed and unidealised depiction of the physical essence of the human animal. In an age when art was rejecting traditional naturalistic representation, Freud committed his life to portraiture, resisting the surrounding interest in Pop, Op and Abstract Expressionism. By painting his friends from all walks of life he pursued unfettered realism, creating memorable images that are both astounding and uncomfortable.
A recent BBC documentary, Lucian Freud: Painted Life, gave a picture of the man behind the works: a troubled individual who felt more affinity to horses than to other humans, who fathered at least 14 children, and who was constantly plagued by gambling debts. Freud energetically pursued painting until his death, searching for the fulfilment of his personal and artistic ambitions.
