Lucian Freud: Closer: UBS Art Collection - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3775743111 ISBN 13: 9783775743112

Publisher: Hatje Cantz, 2017

Synopsis

The art of Lucian Freud (1922–2011) is not easy on viewers, confronted as they are with harshly depicted figures in a vulnerable state of nudity.

Grandchild to Sigmund Freud, the painter often subjected his models to lengthy sessions of posing, creating glimpses into the psyches of those he portrayed.

The UBS Art Collection contains the majority of etchings from Freud’s last phase, as well as one watercolor and two paintings―a total of 54 works of the highest quality. At once delicate and bold in conception, Freud’s etchings challenge viewers with their candor. The fact that the exhibition is held in Berlin’s Martin-Gropius-Bau is of particular significance, as the city was Freud’s birthplace, from which he was forced to flee with his parents in 1933. With the help of the UBS Art Collection, the artist now returns home.

About this title

Review:

Lucian Freud has always stirred controversy with his radical reinvention of artistic conventions. In particular his graphic male nudes, both portraits of himself and of others, have embodied a rejection of youth's sleek smooth lines in favor of age's unglamorous and unvarnished naturalism. His recent studies of obese male and female models have renewed his reputation as controversialist. This book reminds us that some of his work over the years has been at times more accepted. His portrait of artist Francis Bacon set new standards for truth in portraiture. He painted his mother with huge affection. His landscapes of London have been taken as social commentary, reflections of the metaphorical and literal decay he sees around him. This book records the artist's career after 50 years as a painter.

From the Inside Flap:

's massive nudes are among the most powerful and moving visual images of our time, and in this exhaustive overview of Freud's career, readers can trace how he arrived at them. Photos of Freud at work provide a unique view of this very private man. 340 illustrations, many in color.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hatje Cantz
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 3775743111
• ISBN 13: 9783775743112
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 120