Is it possible to look at and evaluate an old painting by a famous painter without being constantly aware of his fame? The knowledge of fame brings with it an expectation that was not foreseeable at the time the work was created. The work must be of high quality, otherwise the creator would not have become famous - an in-depth analysis no longer seems necessary. With the exhibition Lucian Freud: New Perspectives, the National Gallery in London ventures an attempt to circumvent precisely this problem and to judge objectively. It examines paintings from over 70 years, shows Freud's development and focuses on his uncompromising devotion to painting.
Lucian Freud (1922-2011) is one of the best-known painters of the last century. His monumental, sensational nude portraits beyond general ideals of beauty are well known even to non-art connoisseurs. The British artist used close friends and family members as models. He also produced small intimate portraits, interiors and still lifes. At the beginning of his career, Freud was inspired by Surrealism; from the 1950s onwards, he developed an increasingly radical realism.
