Lucian Freud, grandson of Sigmund Freud, was born in Berlin, Germany. At the age of sixteen his family settled in London to escape Nazism. He died just two years ago in 2011 at the age of 88 years old. He was known as one of the most incredible Britsh artist of his time. His thick textured fleshy painted portraits are mesmerising. But I also love his early paintings of his first wife, Kitty Garman, with her enlarged eyes and wild stare. He was also quite the womanizer and was said to have fathered around 40 children. Though there are 14 that are known to be his, he seemed to be a distant father to all of them. There were a few of his children that actually got to know him, which usually was because they agreed to pose for him. He definitely fits the stereo type of the male artist that sacrifices all connections to family and love for sex and his art.
In 2008 "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" ( the last image above) sold for 33.6 millions dollars, which set a record for the high price paid for a living artist.
