Duchess Of Cambridge To Make First NPG Visit Since Becoming Patron
Informed sources have revealed that the Duchess of cambridge will visit the National Portrait Galleries for a preview of the Lucian Freud exhibition on Wednesday 8 February. The exhibition which opens on 9 February is set to be one of the must see art events of 2012. It will be her first visit to the gallery since becoming an official patron before Christmas. The Duchess who graduated from St. Andrews with a 2.1 in History of Art is said to be a great admirer of his work. Freud who was considered the best figurative artist of his generation, created controversy with his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 when he depicted the monarch with a bold and unforgiving realism. It was described by critics as “Painted with a strong sense of duty and Hanoverian roots” and concluded that the work is “thought provoking” and “every bit as good” as previous efforts. The chief art critic of The Times, Richard Cork, described the image as “painful, brave, honest, stoical and, above all, clear sighted”.
Lucian Freud (1922 – 2011) was one of the most important and influential artists of his generation. Paintings of people were central to his work and this major exhibition, spanning over seventy years, is the first to focus on his portraiture. Produced in close collaboration with the late Lucian Freud, the exhibition concentrates on particular periods and groups of sitters which illustrate Freud’s stylistic development and technical virtuosity. Insightful paintings of the artist’s lovers, friends and family, referred to by the artist as the ‘people in my life’, will demonstrate the psychological drama and unrelenting observational intensity of his work. Featuring over 100 works from museums and private collections throughout the world, some of which have never been seen before, this is an unmissable opportunity to experience the work of one of the world’s greatest artists. Freud was a towering and uncompromising figure in the art world for more than 50 years. He died in July age 88.
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Visit The Lucian Freud Exhibition