Just saw this evening that Lucian Freud passed away at the age of 88. Lucian Freud certainly painted more than a few nudes in compromising positions, but it cannot be denied that he was truly an original. During my undergraduate days I remember being told by a professor that I should study up on Freud and try to see some of his work first hand. I've seen a few of his paintings since and have had the chance to look close. He has been called the "greatest living painter of flesh" for decades, and I don't see how that could be argued. His use of the brush, his palette, the texture of his paint, and the way he positioned and controlled the figure in surprising and sometimes shockingly different ways makes him a real art legend. He also remained a true realist his whole life, even as he lived through a tumultuous time for pure painters in the art world. I'm certainly grateful that he made so many works in his lifetime. I continue to use Lucian Freud as a great resource for figure painting. Now if I can only be 1% the painter he was...
