British painter Lucian Freud dies aged 88

July 23, 2011

, the painter and grandson of the founder of, died Wednesday at his London home following a short illness. He was 88 years old.

Freud, the elder brother of the late comedic writer and broadcaster, was born in Berlin in 1922 and moved with his family to Britain in 1933 to escape the. He became a British citizen in 1939. He studied at the, then at the with. He also attended. After finishing art school, he spent some time in the merchant navy. In 1944, he started exhibiting with a solo showcase at the Alex Reid & Lefevre Gallery.

In the 1950s, his style changed to exclusively paint portraits and nudes. The process of painting for models was intense: one nude painting took 16 months to complete and Freud demanded her turn up almost every day to pose. His work was nominated for the in 1989, and he was a member of the. Most controversially, he painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II which was described by  newspaper as a "travesty", and prompted Robin Simon, the editor of the to say that "It makes her look like one of the royal corgis who has suffered a stroke". He also famously painted the glamour model nude, and was once named one of Britain's best dressed men in the magazine.

His work has sold for large amounts: Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, sold in 2008 at in New York for $33.6 million dollars. In addition, he has had solo shows at some of the most prominent art galleries and museums in the world including the, the in New York, and the  in Paris. , the director of the in London, said of Freud: "The vitality of his nudes, the intensity of the still life paintings and the presence of his portraits of family and friends guarantee Lucian Freud a unique place in the pantheon of late twentieth century art. His early paintings redefined British art and his later works stand comparison with the great figurative painters of any period."

Freud has at least thirteen children from a series of marriages and affairs: after an affair with the member, Freud married her niece Kitty in 1948 and had two children (Annie and Annabel) before ending the marriage four years later. He had an affair with Lady which turned into a marriage in 1953, although that was dissolved in 1957. He also had two children with Bernadine Coverly (, the fashion designer, and the writer ), five children with Suzy Boyt, and four children with Katherine Margaret McAdam (, an artist, Lucy Freud, David Freud and, also an artist).

External link

 * Selected works and photographs of Freud