Man with a Blue Scarf : On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud

Lucian Freud, perhaps the world's leading portrait painter, spent seven months painting a portrait of the art critic Martin Gayford. Gayford describes the process chronologically, from the day he arrived for the first sitting through to his meeting with the couple who bought the finished painting, and he vividly conveys what it is like to be on the inside of the process of creating a work of art. As Freud completes his portrait of Gayford, so the art critic produces his own portrait of the artist, giving a rare insight into Freuds working practice. Through their wide-ranging conversations, the reader learns not only about Freuds choice of models, lighting, setting, pose, and colors, but also about his likes and dislikes, his encounters and experiences, and the ways in which he approaches his relationship with each portrait subject. Gayford records Freuds observations on the work of Michelangelo, Vermeer, Titian, Chardin, Goya, van Gogh, Mondrian, and his great contemporary Francis Bacon. The book is full of revealing anecdotes about the people Freud has met in the course of his long career, including Max Ernst, Man Ray, Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, George Orwell, W. H. Auden, Greta Garbo, and his grandfather Sigmund Freud. Illustrated with photographs of Freud at work and an etching that Freud did of Gayford after the painting was completed, the book also features other paintings by Freud from the 1940s to the present, as well as images by artists discussed by Freud with Gayford.

“An extraordinary record of a great artist in his studio, it also describes what it feels like to be transformed into a work of art.” —ARTnews

Lucian Freud (1922-2011), widely regarded as the greatest figurative painter of our time, spent seven months painting a portrait of the art critic Martin Gayford. The daily narrative of their encounters takes the reader into that most private place, the artist’s studio, and to the heart of the working methods of this modern master—both technical and subtly psychological. From this emerges an understanding of what a portrait is, but something else is also created: a portrait, in words, of Freud himself. This is not a biography, but a series of close-ups: the artist at work and in conversation at restaurants, in taxis, and in his studio. It takes one into the company of the painter for whom Picasso, Giacometti, and Francis Bacon were friends and contemporaries, as were writers such as George Orwell and W. H. Auden.

The book is illustrated with many of Lucian Freud’s other works, telling photographs taken by David Dawson of Freud in his studio, and images by such great artists of the past as van Gogh and Titian who are discussed by Freud and Gayford.

Full of wry observations, the book reveals the inside story of how it feels to pose for a remarkable artist and become a work of art.

Lucian Freud Spent Seven Months Painting A Portrait Of The Art Critic Martin Gayford. Gayford Describes The Process Chronologically, From The Day He Arrived For The First Sitting Through To His Meeting With The Couple Who Bought The Finished Painting. As Freud Creates His Portrait, So Gayford Produces His Own Portrait Of The Artist. Machine Generated Contents Note: 28 November 2003 -- 1 December 2003 -- 3 December 2003 -- 5 December 2003 -- 16 December 2003 -- 19 December 2003 -- 28 December 2003 -- 2 January 2004 -- 6 January 2004 -- 16 January 2004 -- 23 January 2004 -- 26 January 2004 -- 30 January 2004 -- 3 February 2004 -- 6 February 2004 -- 11 February 2004 -- 21 February 2004 -- 24 February 2004 -- 27 February 2004 -- 3 March 2004 -- 9 March 2004 -- 7 April 2004 -- 14 April 2004 -- 16 April 2004 -- 19 April 2004 -- 27 April 2004 -- 29 April 2004 -- 4 May 2004 -- 7 May 2004 -- 11 May 2004 -- 14 May 2004 -- 18 May 2004 -- 20 May 2004 -- 26 May 2004 -- 27 May 2004 -- 15 June 2004 -- 16 June 2004 -- 22 June 2004 -- 30 June 2004 -- 4 July 2004. Martin Gayford. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Lucian Freud Is Widely Regarded As The Greatest Figurative Painter Of Our Time. Freud Spent Seven Months Painting A Portrait Of The Art Critic Martin Gayford And The Daily Narrative Of Their Encounters Takes The Reader Straight Into The Artist's Studio, And To The Heart Of Freud's Working Methods, Both Technical And Psychological. Full Of Wry And Revealing Observations, This Is A Book Not Quite Like Any Other: The Inside Story Of How It Feels To Pose For A Remarkable Artist, And Be Transformed Into A Work Of Art. This Is Not A Biography, But A Series Of Close-ups: The Artist At Work, And In Conversation In Restaurants, In Taxis And In His Studio. It Takes One Into The Company Of The Painter For Whom Picasso, Giacometti And Francis Bacon Were Friends. 'one Of The Best Books About Art, And The Making Of Art, That I Have Ever Read' - Julian Barnes. Note: The Ebook Edition Includes The Complete Text Of The Printed Book With A Reduced Number Of Illustrations. Lucian Freud, perhaps the worlds leading portrait painter, spent seven months painting a portrait of the author, an art critic. This book describes the process chronologically, from the day the author arrived for the first sitting through to his meeting with the couple who bought the finished painting. Lucian Freud (1922-2011) spent seven months painting a portrait of the author who is an art critic. In this title, he describes the process chronologically, from the day he arrived for the first sitting through to his meeting with the couple who bought the finished painting.