Print authentication:Lucian Freud
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Lucian Freud, the grandson of Sigmond Freud, was a British artist. Like his grandfather, Freud’s artwork was thought to have been psychological in nature. Freud was born in Germany, but raised in London, where he studied at Goldsmith and the University of London.
Woman with arm tattoo. 1996. etching
Lord Goodman in his Yellow Pyjamas. Etching
Freud mostly painted portraits, sometimes full-length nudes or portraits that included the subject’s pet. In addition to Freud’s skillful paintings, he made a large number of etchings. Freud began making experimental etchings in the 1940s and then created a number of more developed prints in the 1980s. Unlike most printmakers, Freud would treat his etchings like paintings, working on his copper plate from an easel as if it was a canvas.
Woman sleeping. 1995. etching
Large Head. etching. 1993
Pluto. 1988. etching
Freud’s etchings reveal the artists strong portraiture skills. By eliminating color, the artist is able to focus on the subject’s expression, rendered purely through etched line-work. Freud did not romanticize his subjects but often chose people who were old, tired, pensive or sad. Freud was also known to choose overweight or wrinkled subjects that he likely saw as more interesting than a prototypical model.
Freud often referred to as the foremost figurative painter-printmaker of the late 20th century. His prints continue to sell for large sums in Europe and in the United States.