Lucian Freud  was one of the most influential figurative painters of the 20th and early 21st centuries, known for his intense, psychological portraits and nudes. The grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, he explored the complexities of the human body and mind through paint with raw honesty and emotional depth.

Freud’s art is characterized by thick, textured brushstrokes, muted tones, and a focus on the physicality of flesh. He painted people close to him,  friends, family, lovers, and fellow artists.  His subjects are portrayed without idealization, revealing vulnerability, age, and imperfection. This commitment to truth over beauty made his work both unsettling and deeply human.

His early works, such as Girl with a Kitten (1947), show fine, precise lines and surreal intensity. Later, his style became more painterly and tactile, as seen in Benefits Supervisor Sleeping (1995), one of the most famous and expensive portraits ever sold. Freud’s mastery of light, texture, and form gives his figures a sculptural presence, emphasizing the weight and reality of the human body.

Benefits Supervisor Sleeping - Lucian Freud