ANAPPRAISAL
PainterandProvocateur,SetinHisWays
DavidDawson/CourtesyofHazlittHolland-Hibbert
LucianFreudinhisstudioinaphotographtitled"WorkingatNight,"2005.MorePhotos»
ByMICHAELKIMMELMAN
Published:July22,2011
HewasthemostinterestingmaninLondon,conventionalwisdomhadit.Idon’tthinkIevermetanyonemoreremarkable.
ForyearsLucianFreudmaintainedaconspicuousprivacy,fuelingtherumorsaboutwomenandgamblingandmodels,whichintheendreallyhadlittleornothingtodowithhiswork.Evenclosefriendsdidn’thavehisphonenumber.Theywouldhavetoreachhimthroughhissolicitoror,later,hisassistant.Intimehebecamealittlemoreaccessibletojournalistsandfilmmakersandbiographers.
Buthealwaysunderstoodtheusesofmystery,foraidinghisreputationandsavingit.Hisprivateliferemainedhisprivatelife,andhekeptitprivatesohecouldwork.Itwasallabouttheworkintheend.
Wemetnearly20yearsagothroughLadyCarolineBlackwood,thedark-wittednovelisttowhomhewasmarriedbrieflyduringthe1950s.She’stheoneinthosedolefulportraitsofabeautiful,big-eyed,tousle-hairedblonde.HeandIsaweachotheronandoffafterthat.WesometimesmetfordinnerattheWolseley,wherehealwayscommandedthemostconspicuoustableintheroom,although,havingchosentobethecenterofattention,heabhorredinterlopers.Luciandidn’tdosmalltalk.
Occasionallyhewouldtelephonemeatsomeoddhour,totalkaboutwhathewaspaintingoranexhibitionhehadseen.Hewentstraighttothepoint,butthentheconversationwoulddrift,andhewouldrecallsomethingappallingaboutPicassoorsomethingcleverGiacomettihadtoldhimorsomethingabouthisgrandfatherSigmund,whomherememberedfondly,orhisauntAnna,whomhedetested.
Mostlywemetinhisstudioorathome.Slowlyhewouldpresenteachworkinprogress.Half-finished,hispicturesoftenlookedungainlytome.Ididn’talwaysknowwhattosay.IonlyknewthatthelastthingtosaytoLucianwouldbeanythingpoliteorconventional.
Heloathedgentilityandsocialconvention.Tohimtheysmackedoffakery,likethevariousartisticsymbolisms,Surrealismamongthem,thatmodernpaintinghad
contrived.Therealworld,strippedbare,alreadypresentedunfathomablestrangenessandfascination.Anartisticlifeshouldexhaustitselftryingtounpackit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/arts/design/lucian-freud-painter-and-provocateur-appraisal.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/F/Freud,%20Lucian?ref=lucianfreud
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/11/arts/design/20120511_FREUD.html?ref=design
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