The Way Of All Flesh

July 21, 2011 4:23 PM

British figurative painter Lucian Freud, whose uncompromising, fleshy portraits made him one of the world's most revered and coveted artists, has died aged 88. Tate Gallery Google image search. [NSFWish]
posted by chavenet (42 comments total)

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posted by sinnesloeschen at 4:24 PM on July 21, 2011

Love the fleshy, doughy style of painting.
posted by Renoroc at 4:25 PM on July 21, 2011

Twombly, then Freud. Two of my faves.

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posted by jayder at 4:26 PM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

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posted by HandfulOfDust at 4:29 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by lumpenprole at 4:33 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by Trurl at 4:33 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by cazoo at 4:33 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by Smart Dalek at 4:35 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by Xoebe at 4:43 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by Benjamin Nushmutt at 4:52 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by scody at 4:59 PM on July 21, 2011

What a shame. I was indifferent to images of Freud's work, but my opinion changed when I saw his paintings and their mesmerising texture. One of the greats.

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posted by ersatz at 5:03 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by Flashman at 5:09 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by One Thousand and One at 5:10 PM on July 21, 2011

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Love his impasto chronicle of flesh and decay. An amazing artist.
posted by smirkette at 5:26 PM on July 21, 2011

I feel a little ashamed to say that I thought Freud was already dead.

Still, one of my favorite figurative painters. Great gobs of gray women!
posted by klangklangston at 5:28 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by annekate at 5:30 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by rocket88 at 5:32 PM on July 21, 2011

Does the Tate only have small thumbnails of the paintings?

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posted by stratastar at 5:40 PM on July 21, 2011

Sigmund's grandson.
Bad month for great art.
I liked his big women and his dogs.
posted by Toekneesan at 5:45 PM on July 21, 2011

Indeed BBWs, and BGWs for that matter, have today lost a powerful champion.
posted by Flashman at 6:45 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by Soulfather at 7:00 PM on July 21, 2011

If ever there were an artist whose work needed to be seen in person, it was Freud. As fascinating as his late paintings are in reproduction, you ain't seen nothin' till you've seen size -- and the surfaces with their ugly, compelling, sometimes obsessive textures.
posted by Faze at 7:02 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by From Bklyn at 7:11 PM on July 21, 2011

lucien frued's paintings of lee bowery were the first indications that a body of my general shape could be worthy of looking at.
posted by PinkMoose at 7:24 PM on July 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

With Lucian goes my heart,
bad men to good art.
posted by mygodimissyou at 7:32 PM on July 21, 2011

Rest in Peace, Painter.
posted by R. Mutt at 7:37 PM on July 21, 2011

( . Y . )
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:51 PM on July 21, 2011

An awesome painter, up there with the greats.
posted by conrad53 at 8:43 PM on July 21, 2011

What ersatz and Faze said. I thought Freud's paintings were moderately interesting until I saw an exhibit in person. Then I was mesmerized.
posted by Orinda at 9:29 PM on July 21, 2011

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posted by FeralHat at 9:49 PM on July 21, 2011

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A genius.
posted by Rumple at 10:33 PM on July 21, 2011

Telegraph obituary and a gallery from the Guardian.
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posted by adamvasco at 11:30 PM on July 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

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posted by no mind at 11:38 PM on July 21, 2011

Liked the anecdote from Sue Tilley under the Guardian's obit saying how he hated the tan she got on a trip to India and waited for it to fade before continuing to paint her.
posted by Abiezer at 12:38 AM on July 22, 2011

God, what a fantastic painter he was.
posted by Red Loop at 4:15 AM on July 22, 2011

No question--Freud's work needs to be seen in person. The very brushstrokes seem to hover over the canvas, and those faces, those bodies, spill right out towards the viewer. So vivid.

A brilliant artist who left a generous body of work behind. As it were.

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posted by kinnakeet at 5:53 AM on July 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

It's odd to feel gut-punched by the death of someone I don't even know personally. Shit, his work moves me in such a profound way.

I hate when my favorite artists die. It feels like a terrible, terrible loss.
posted by heyho at 6:09 AM on July 22, 2011

I am not very good at appreciating visual art, but Freud's stuff always smacked me right in the face. In a good way. A good innings, but sad to see him go.
posted by Decani at 2:21 PM on July 22, 2011

I saw the film about him, Portraits, recently (the Guardian says it's online). Fascinating about his relationships with his family. Several of his daughters were models for him - one talks about this being the only way to get his attention. There are some other interesting things on the Guardian site about him - interview with his assistant from 2004, for instance.
posted by paduasoy at 12:44 AM on July 23, 2011

Francis Bacon's portrait of Lucian Freud.
posted by goofyfoot at 3:27 AM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

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posted by Iridic at 9:28 AM on July 25, 2011