Lucian Freud

Lucian Freud (1922–2011) was a British painter and printmaker whose intensely observed portraits and figure paintings established him as a central figure in post-war British art. Working almost exclusively from life, he developed a highly personal form of realism in which prolonged looking, physical presence and the material qualities of paint were fundamental.

Born in Berlin, Freud came to Britain with his family in 1933 following the rise of the Nazi regime. He studied briefly at the Central School of Arts and Crafts before attending the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, where he was taught by Cedric Morris. Morris’s emphasis on close observation and direct engagement with the subject had a lasting influence on Freud’s development.

Freud’s first solo exhibition was held at the Lefevre Gallery in London in 1944. His early paintings are characterised by a precise, tightly controlled handling and often focus on plants, animals and closely observed figures. During the later 1950s his technique changed significantly: he began using stiffer hog’s-hair brushes and heavier applications of paint, producing the more tactile and physically worked surfaces that became characteristic of his mature paintings.

Freud also exhibited at The Redfern Gallery during this formative period. His painting Daffodils and Celery was included in the gallery’s 1953 Coronation Exhibition, an important survey of contemporary British painting which also included works by artists such as Victor Pasmore and Patrick Heron. The Redfern has continued to exhibit and deal in Freud’s work, particularly his etchings, including presentations at international print fairs and later Modern British exhibitions.

Portraiture became the dominant subject of Freud’s career. He painted family members, friends, fellow artists, lovers and other people within his immediate circle, often over extended periods and through repeated sittings. From the 1960s onwards the human body became increasingly central, particularly in the large-scale nude portraits for which he became widely known.

Drawing remained equally important throughout his life. Freud worked extensively in pencil, ink, charcoal and etching, and frequently returned to printmaking from the 1980s onwards. A major National Portrait Gallery exhibition in 2026, Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting, examined this continuous relationship between his work on paper and his paintings.

Freud represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1954 and was the subject of major exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery, Tate, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the National Portrait Gallery. His work is held in major public collections throughout Britain and internationally.