Artist Lucian Freud dies
Artist Lucien Freud, seen here in 1952, was considered Britain's greatest realist painter of the modern era.
July 21st, 2011
05:44 PM ET

Artist Lucian Freud dies

Artist Lucian Freud, best known for his nude, fleshy portraits that broke auction house records, died at the age of 88, his publicist said Thursday.

The German-born, British painter died of illness in his London home Wednesday night, his dealer, William R. Acquavella, said in a statement.

“My family and I mourn Lucian Freud not only as one of the great painters of the twentieth century but also as a very dear friend.  As the foremost figurative artist of his generation he imbued both portraiture and landscape with profound insight, drama and energy.  In company he was exciting, humble, warm and witty. He lived to paint and painted until the day he died, far removed from the noise of the art world," said Acquavella, owner of Acquavella Galleries in New York.

The grandson of psychoanalysis pioneer Sigmund Freud, Freud was widely regarded as the greatest British realist painter of his time. He often used friends, family and acquaintances as subjects.

"I paint people... not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be," he said, according to Tate Britain's website.

His 1995 life-size painting - "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" - fetched $33.6 million during bidding at Christie's auction house in New York in 2008, setting a new world record at the time. The previous record was for "Hanging Heart," a painting by Jeff Koons that sold for $23.5 million, said Rik Pike, a spokesman for Christie's.

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soundoff (12 Responses)
  1. RJWTimes Bradford England

    This is very sad news. My prayers will be with his family. He did some great artwork.

    July 21, 2011 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
  2. joe

    RIP

    July 21, 2011 at 6:10 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Alice Gold

    Ernst Ludwig Freud was his father, not Sigmund Freud,

    July 21, 2011 at 6:19 pm | Report abuse |
    • nigel hamilton

      The article stated he was the grandson of psychoanalysis pioneer Sigmund Freud!!! can you not read Alice

      July 22, 2011 at 5:19 pm | Report abuse |
  4. (required)

    ...And it said that in the article, Alice. Grandson of Sigmund Freud.

    Condolences to his family.

    July 21, 2011 at 7:04 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Mmmmm

    Is that the guy who created scenery for the thousand piece puzzles?

    July 21, 2011 at 7:13 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Queen

    @Mmmmm:
    Yes.

    J/K

    July 21, 2011 at 7:19 pm | Report abuse |
  7. drap

    Did he slip... .?

    July 21, 2011 at 7:51 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Aj

    cool, I haven't done a puzzle in decades..good idea for the weekend, NOT

    July 21, 2011 at 10:43 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Sigmund

    Slippin..kickin..dude I'm rollin in my grave... .

    July 21, 2011 at 11:09 pm | Report abuse |
  10. nigel hamilton

    Brilliant artist. Some of his work was brutal though especially his portrait of Queen Elizabeth 2

    July 22, 2011 at 5:21 pm | Report abuse |
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