VTS Recap: Reflection With Two Children (Self-Portrait) by Lucian Freud
Reflection With Two Children (Self-Portrait) by Lucian Freud (1965), Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid, Spain
Last week we had 2 intriguing VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) discussions about this self-portrait from Lucian Freud, the grandson of famed psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. I have a thing for art that is meant to express an idea or evoke an emotion, but doesn’t give any significance to aesthetics or beauty… that makes art more beautiful to me… beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all.
Who is Lucian Freud?
Picture of Lucian Freud, 1982, Jane Bown/The Observer
Born Lucian Michael Freud, 1922, Berlin, Germany
Grandfather was famed psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud
Both parents of Jewish descent
Father was architect, Ernst L. Freud
In 1933, his family fled Germany to England to escape the Nazis
Died 2011 (age 88), London, England
Freud had at least 14 children (some say upwards of 40), was completely against convention, wasn’t afraid to speak his mind even if it was unpopular, and ruthlessly portrayed the reality of humanity in his paintings.
If you know anything of his grandfather’s psychoanalytical theories, especially psychosexual development and the Oedipus complex, this type of irreverent rebellion may sound familiar, though Lucian would not want any further comparison between them.
Freud’s influence on art & portraiture
Lucian Freud changed how we look at people. His canvases include subjects, faces, and bodies rarely seen in art before—regular, everyday people who are fat, old, sad, exhausted—all of the human conditions with no idealization or beautification.
Some say his portraits are cruel, ruthless, and clinical; others that they are honest expressions of what it means to be human.
Lucian Freud stated that “my idea of portraiture came from dissatisfaction with portraits that resembled people. I would wish my portraits to be of people, not like them.”
In 2019-2020, the Royal Academy of the Arts in London held a world-first exhibition of 50 Freud self-portraits that included some well-known and influential works.
Self-portraits are a favorite of many artists, but Freud took them to a whole new level, in sheer number and in his portrayal of himself with his signature ruthless realism throughout the years.
Moving the senses through the intensification of reality
In 1954, Lucian said, “My object in painting pictures is to try and move the senses by giving an intensification of reality. Whether this can be achieved depends on how intensely the painter understands and feels for the person or object of his choice. Because of this, painting is the only art in which the intuitive qualities of the artist may be more valuable to him than actual knowledge or intelligence. The painter makes real to others the innermost feelings about all that he cares for. A secret becomes known to everyone who views the picture through the intensity with which it is felt.”
Freud and other British artists of his generation took it upon themselves to paint regular people (no kings, queens, or artistrocrats) and to show humanity as it is, imperfect, unbeautiful, real, with no idealization whatsoever.
He did this masterfully in Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, named for the job of the model, Sue Tilly, who was a benefits supervisor at a state-operated employment agency. Often considered his best and most influential work, it shows a regular person with his signature intensified reality where every wrinkle, dimple, and fold is shown.
Benefits Supervisor Sleeping by Lucian Freud, 1995, Wikipedia
This painting held the world record a the time for the highest price paid for a painting by a living artist when it was sold for US$33.6 million (£17.2 million) at Christie's in New York, May 2008.
Another influential painting of Freud’s, Girl With a White Dog, similarly shows a regular woman in a regular, household setting, not putting on any fake smile or trying to cover herself up, just unapologetically looking back at us as we look at her in with a directness and intimacy that some find uncomfortable.
Girl with a White Dog by Lucian Freud, 1952, Tate, England
What is “reality,” in art and life?
“The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.” — Lucian Freud
The way in which we see the world, ourselves, and each other has little to do with actual reality and more to do with our own perception, experience, culture, assumptions, and biases. Lucian understood this and sought to intensely study the world and the people within it as a way to see past his own perception so that he could get closer to reality.
Learn more: Perception vs. Reality: The Bias of Decision-Making
In Freud’s mind, “reality” was more about the essence of a person than a strict reproduction of their physical likeness. I like that interpretation… it’s more important who a person is on the inside than how they look on the outside.
What were some things that were noticed during the VTS discussions?
“This is a father coming home from a long day at work and his children are disappointed that he didn't bring them sweets”
Evidence: The man is wearing a suit and looks tired as if he may have worked a long day; often children are excited to see their father when he comes home and the older boy still is because he loves his father (he looks happier like he is smiling and excited), but the younger girl is disappointed because she cares more about the gifts (she looks more sad with her facial expression and the way she’s holding her head)
“This man is from an upper class and he is looking down on the children and on us as being less than him”
Evidence: The extreme angle of his face and body make it seem like he’s looking down on all of us; he’s wearing a suit which might indicate he is from an upper class; the extreme size difference between the man and the children also may indicate that they are less important
“These children are near our eye-level and are in a museum, standing in front of a painting of the man”
Evidence: There is a horizontal border near the bottom that could be the frame of a picture; the size and angle of the man don’t match that of the children; the children have their back to the man (or painting) and are facing us; they may be a bit above us, but are closer to being on the same level as us than the man is
“The man is sad thinking about the children that he left and is missing”
Evidence: His facial expression, eyes, and downturned corners of his mouth feel sad; the heavy shadows on his face also make it seem like he is sad; the children and the man are not in the same place because he is separated from them and maybe that is what’s making him sad, that it was a difficult decision to leave them and he is missing them
“This father is carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders of worrying about the future of his children”
Evidence: The way he is looking down on the children is like a strict father who is judging what his children have been up to while he was away; the two light fixtures might represent the children and their future of taking over as head of the house from him someday; the larger light fixture is very close to his shoulder and his body seems to be uncomfortable, so maybe this light fixture is representing the heavy burden on his shoulders
“This is a somber painting with an ever-expanding sky behind the man”
Evidence: The colors are all cold and grey, making it feel somber and sad; the background behind the man’s head feels like a sky with abstract shapes that could be clouds, especially the sort of rectangular shape just to the left of the man
“This painting is about being disconnected from others and the world around you, and feeling hopeless”
Evidence: The distorted angles of the man make him feel like he isn’t in the same place as the children or ourselves; and the stiff, corporate suit the man is wearing indicate he is disconnected from the rest of us as well
What do you see in this painting?
