Lucian Freud dies, aged 88
British artist Lucian Freud has died at the age of 88. Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate gallery, has paid tribute, saying “his early paintings redefined British art”.
In a statement, the painter’s solicitor Diana Rawstron, who has represented Freud for many years, said: “Lucian Freud, artist, born 8 December 1922 in Berlin, died peacefully last night (Wednesday 20 July) at his home in London.”
The painter, a towering figure in the art world for more than 50 years, died after an illness, his New York-based art dealer said.
William Acquavella said that he would mourn Freud “as one of the great painters of the 20th century”.
Mr Acquavella added: “He lived to paint and painted until the day he died, far removed from the noise of the art world.”
Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate gallery, said: “The vitality of his nudes, the intensity of the still life paintings and the presence of his portraits of family and friends guarantee Lucian Freud a unique place in the pantheon of late 20th century art.
“His early paintings redefined British art and his later works stand comparison with the great figurative painters of any period.”
In pictures: the work of Lucian Freud
Freud, grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the brother of the late television personality Sir Clement Freud, was born in Berlin in 1922.
His Jewish family had to flee the city in 1933 and he become a British citizen in 1939.
The realist painter was educated at the Central School of Art, London, the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing in Dedham and Goldsmiths College in London.
He was noticed for his talent early on in his life and, after a spell in the Merchant Navy in 1942, had his first one-man show in 1944, when he was 21.
His key pieces include Girl With A White Dog, Naked Girl Asleep And Reflection (self portrait), and he was particularly known for his paintings of nudes.
Freud’s works have recently fetched millions at auction, including one of an overweight nude woman sleeping on a couch that sold in 2008 for £20.6m.
Last month, a portrait entitled Woman Smiling, 1958-59, fetched £4,745,250 when it went under the hammer. In another sale, Boy On A Sofa sold for £1,497,250