Lucian Freud British, 1922-2011
David Dawson, 1998
Etching on paper, framed
Signed by the artist in pencil, on recto
Signed by the artist in pencil, on recto
Plate: 59.7 x 42.5 cm; Sheet: 75.7 x 57.2 cm
© Estate of Lucian Freud
Further images
Most of the etchings Freud produced were of people he knew well; his assistant the artist David Dawson is portrayed in this grand-scale print. He posed regularly for Freud and...
Most of the etchings Freud produced were of people he knew well; his assistant the artist David Dawson is portrayed in this grand-scale print. He posed regularly for Freud and appears in paintings such as Sunny Morning–Eight Legs 1997. Here Dawson is presented in a relaxed pose with his lips slightly parted, creating a neutral expression. The layered lines form a beautiful balance of light and shadow across Dawson’s face, creating depth in the composition. This nonchalant intimacy, so distinctive in Freud’s portraits, is due to his aversion of dictating the poses of his sitters.
Quote
‘I am only interested in painting the actual person; in doing a painting of them, not in using them to some ulterior end of art. For me, to use someone doing something not native to them would be wrong.’
Quote
‘I am only interested in painting the actual person; in doing a painting of them, not in using them to some ulterior end of art. For me, to use someone doing something not native to them would be wrong.’
