Lucian Freud und das Tier / Lucian Freud and the Animal

Famous for his nudes and portraits as the “painter of the flesh”, the interest in Lucian Freud has again in recent years increased immensely. Freud, who spoke of his human models as “animals dressed”, has also dealt in detail with nonhuman animals in his work. He made no distinction between his models; with both — animals and people — he was in search of their true nature. Selected works in this book highlight three phases in Freud’s work: at the beginning the shaping of dead bodies; then the animal as a companion, connected with the turn to portraiture; at last the English subjects with dog and horse representations. By focusing on depicting animals, the exhibition and book aimed to encourage a new consideration of the artistic development and creative process of Lucian Freud.