Lucian Freud’s drawings and paintings on display in London

Lucian Freud: Drawing Into Painting will run from 12th February to 4th May and feature rarely-seen drawings alongside iconic paintings and work on display for the first time. 

Curated by Sarah Howgate, the National Portrait Gallery’s senior curator of contemporary collections, the exhibition will explore changes in Freud’s art through his drawings. The starting point of the display will be the Lucian Freud Archive at the National Portrait Gallery, comprising childhood drawings, 48 sketchbooks, letters and unfinished paintings.

In additions to sketches, drawings and etchings, the exhibition will feature paintings which explore the changes between Freud’s practice on paper and on canvas. 

The National Portrait Gallery has acquired 12 new works from the estate of Lucian Freud, including an etching depicting the artist’s fashion-designer daughter, Bella Freud.

Curator Sarah Howgate said: “Lucian Freud was one of the greatest observers of the human condition in the 20th century. Widely known as a painter, this exhibition interrogates his lesser-known work as a draughtsman.

“I am excited that Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting brings together the artist’s finest drawings from all over the world, some seen in this exhibition for the first time, and reunites them with the corresponding paintings. This exhibition, taking place in London, the city Freud loved more than any other, reveals a less familiar side of his work, a wonderful opportunity to understand his behind-the-scenes workings and day to day thinking as an artist.”

Among the other pieces on display will be Portrait of a Young Man, 1944; David Hockney, 2002; and Girl in Bed, 1952. Visitors will also be able see drawings and etchings which have a relationship with specific paintings, such as Large Interior, W11 (1981-83), which Freud produced in response to Watteau’s Pierrot Content (c.1712).

Group visits 

Groups of ten or more can visit the exhibition at a discounted rate when booking in advance. 

The National Portrait Gallery welcomes groups for tours, outside of the exhibition spaces. A highlights tour explores the collection, whilst a range of themed tours are also available focusing on topics including including the Tudors, Icons of Britain and Queer Stories.