Lucian Freud: The Copper Paintings

Lucian Freud's oil on copper paintings, including his lost portrait of Francis Bacon and two works that have never been reproduced before, are brought together in a new book. This book showcases Freud's small-scale, enamel-smooth and intensely intense copper works, including his famous portrait of Francis Bacon, labeled as the most important portrait of the 20th century.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 80 pages
\n Publication date: 12 October 2021
\n Publisher: Yale University Press
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Lucian Freud, a renowned 20th-century painter, ventured into an unconventional medium during the early 1950s: oil paint on copper. This technique, favored by artists like Rembrandt and Frans Hals in the 17th century, was a departure from Freud's usual practice. However, his fascination with this technique led him to create more than a dozen copper works, each small-scale and enamel-smooth, showcasing an astonishing intensity.

It was previously believed that these copper paintings were limited to a handful, but extensive research has revealed that Freud actually produced over a dozen such works. This comprehensive book, the first to bring together all of Freud's copper paintings, includes two previously unpublished pieces. Among these is his renowned portrait of Francis Bacon, hailed as the most important portrait of the 20th century by Nicholas Serota.

Interestingly, this portrait, which was stolen in 1988 and remains missing to this day, has been the subject of extensive research for this book. During the course of the research, a rare photograph was discovered, showing the work just minutes before it was stolen. This photograph is published for the first time in this book, providing a unique glimpse into the artwork before its unfortunate disappearance.

Lucian Freud's oil on copper paintings offer a unique perspective on his artistic journey, showcasing his exploration of different techniques and his exceptional talent for capturing the essence of his subjects. This book provides a comprehensive examination of these works, shedding light on their historical significance and the artistic brilliance of one of the 20th century's most influential painters.

\n Weight: 578g\n
Dimension: 198 x 268 x 18 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780300262896\n \n