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A rare self-portrait by Lucian Freud, held in private for nearly six decades, is expected to sell for up to \u00a312 million at Christie\u2019s London auction, highlighting the enduring value of the artist’s intimate and psychologically profound work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A self-portrait by the renowned British artist Lucian Freud is poised to fetch an impressive sum at auction, with estimates ranging from \u00a38 million to \u00a312 million. The artwork, titled Self-portrait (Fragment), is set to be featured at Christie\u2019s 20th\/21st Century: London Evening Sale on October 15. This painting is among three major works by Freud coming to the market, including Woman With A Tulip and Sleeping Head, each carrying multi-million-pound estimates.<\/p>\n
Christie\u2019s vice-chairman and head of post-war and contemporary art for Europe, Katharine Arnold, described these works as historic, spanning significant moments in Freud\u2019s life from the 1940s to the 1960s. The Self-portrait (Fragment) particularly showcases Freud in his 30s, a period marked by personal upheaval as he was going through a breakup with his wife, Caroline Blackwood. According to Arnold, self-portraiture was crucial to Freud’s practice, with over 30 self-portraits created throughout his career. This piece reflects not just the physical passage of time but also Freud\u2019s mental and emotional state during that era.<\/p>\n
The artwork measures approximately 14 by 12 inches and was painted around 1956. It has remained in the same private collection for nearly six decades and has never been publicly exhibited until now. Christie\u2019s highlights the intimacy and rarity of this self-examination by Freud, underscoring its significance within his oeuvre.<\/p>\n
Alongside this, Woman With A Tulip, estimated between \u00a33 million and \u00a35 million, illustrates the social and artistic circles Freud inhabited. The subject, Lorna Wishart, was part of the celebrated Bloomsbury Group in wartime London and held a close relationship with Freud. Painted in 1944 with exquisite detail, including fine sable brushes, the work captures both an iconic representation of Wishart and the turbulence of the Second World War era.<\/p>\n
The third painting, Sleeping Head, estimated at \u00a32 million to \u00a33 million, portrays a woman Freud knew briefly before his marriage. Created in his London studio on Delamere Terrace, this piece adds a deeply British narrative to the collection. Two of the three paintings were recently exhibited at the National Gallery\u2019s Lucian Freud retrospective from 2022 to 2023, demonstrating their cultural significance.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, while the Irish News and The Standard both cite the expected sale date as October 15, auction records indicate that the Self-portrait (Fragment) was actually sold on October 13. The sale price significantly exceeded expectations, reportedly surpassing the upper estimate by a considerable margin, reaffirming the strong demand and enduring market for Freud\u2019s works.<\/p>\n
This auction highlights not only Freud’s profound impact on modern portraiture but also the ongoing appreciation of his art in contemporary markets. The public will have an opportunity to view all three pieces at an exhibition hosted by Christie\u2019s in London from October 8 to 15, offering a rare glimpse into pivotal moments of Freud\u2019s career and personal life.<\/p>\n