Kunstmuseum (formerly Gemeentemuseum), Den Haag

March 30, 2008

Lucian Freud, born in Berlin (1922) and died in London (2011), grandson of the famous psychiatrist, is known as a painter who shows us a direct texture in flesh tones and most of all lack of embarrassment.
Perhaps that last could be a reason to dislike his work. But on a closer look these are all magnificent ‘subcutaneous’ portraits, nudes of vulnerable  people.

Lucian moved to England around 1930 and studied art in London and Hadleigh.
After his education he became friends with Francis Bacon and together they formed the London School.
In 1954 he represented Great Britain at the Biennale in Venice together with Bacon and Ben Nicholson. Since then he was regarded as one of the greatest contemporary British artists.

Freud demands a lot from his models. They have to pose a lot for a long time even when he is busy with another part of the painting.
He continues to work in his realistic way of painting, even in times when abstraction and minimalism seems to become a standard. His examples are masters like Chardin, Constable and Frans Hals.

This was the first retrospective in the Netherlands of this  artist.

(one image shows Freud painting David Hockney)