Items Similar to Donegal Man

Francis Bacon - Portrait de Michel Leiris

Francis Bacon - Study for a portrait of John Edwards

Lucian Freud - The Painter's Doctor

Alice Neel - Man with Pipe (John Rothschild), Alice Neel

Alberto Giacometti - Head of A Man, Expressionist Lithograph by Alberto Giacometti

Joseph Hirsch - Painted Man, American Realist Lithograph by Joseph Hirsch

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 16

Lucian Freud
Donegal Man
2006

Name: Donegal Man
Brand: Lucian Freud
Rating: 4.8 (22 reviews)

$24,750

£18,720.66

€21,858.89

CA$35,247.88

A$35,763.13

CHF 20,430.15

MX$433,002.24

NOK 240,015.35

SEK 239,697.51

DKK 163,404.07

About the Item

Lucian Freud (1922-2011) was a seminal figure in 20th-century British art, celebrated for his raw and psychologically charged exploration of the human form. With his distinctive figurative intensity, Freud captured friends, family, and lovers in a signature brand of realism that he refined over a seven-decade long career. The artist revitalized traditional portraiture in England by imbuing his images with visceral complexity and exposing his subjects in harsh, often unsettling poses that reveal their vulnerability. Freud's style is renowned for its striking emphasis on texture and physicality. His portraits are remarkably unsentimental and veer on harsh. Perhaps the most defining characteristic of his oeuvre is the artist's bold mastery of light and shadow. Freud accentuates every detail of his subjects with frenetic strokes and dramatic contrasts, carving out contours and imperfections with deliberate unflinching precision. Although Freud produced several prints early in his career, he took a 30-year hiatus before reconnecting with the medium in 1982. As with the rest of his practice, each etching demanded months of work and many sittings, deepening the intrigue and complexity of his printmaking. Completed in the last chapter of his career, "Donegal Man" offers a pared-back example of the artist's signature aesthetic. Freud captures his subject in a quiet moment of contemplation, his eyes distant, lost in thought. Soft, undulated shadows ripple through the man's face, emphasizing his deep and pensive expression. The sitter, Pat Doherty, was painted by the artist twice, enduring 185 three-hour sittings to complete both works. This work, along with Freud’s relentless dedication to his process, embodies the artist's unparalleled ability to merge realism with psychological depth. The result is a poignant impression of vulnerability and introspection. Today, Freud's work can be found in prominent collections across the globe, including the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), and the National Portrait Gallery, to name a few. Questions about this piece? Contact us. Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment. "Donegal Man" 2006 Etching on Somerset paper Initialed and numbered "15/46" by artist, lower margin 17.75"H 15"W (image) 26.25"H 22.5"W (work) Framed Very good condition Published by Acquavella LLC, New York Literature: Starr Figura, Lucian Freud The Painter's Etchings, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2007, p. 117, fig. 88

Creator:
Lucian Freud (1922, British)
Creation Year:
2006
Dimensions:
Height: 17.75 in (45.09 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)
Medium:
Etching
Movement & Style:
Expressionist
Period:
2000-2009
Condition:
Very good condition.
Gallery Location:
Toronto, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: 02-251stDibs: LU215215766092

Shop All Lucian Freud

Lucian Freud

Lucian Freud was one of the most influential portrait artists of the 20th century. His figurative paintings offer an unabashed view of his subjects, which included friends, family members and lovers, and are visceral and revealing while intuitively respectful. He was lauded by some and criticized by others for often painting his subjects nude, brazenly undraped or sensually posed.

Born in Berlin, Germany, in 1922 to Jewish parents, Freud and his family fled the oncoming war in 1933, settling in North London, England. He attended Goldsmiths College in London. When war erupted, he enlisted in the British Merchant Navy.

Freud’s paternal grandfather was the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who also fled Germany before the war, but died in 1938. Lucian Freud maintained a lifelong fascination with psychoanalysis and instilled a psychological intensity in his work.

In his early years, Freud leaned toward realism, but as he aged and spent time with other artists, he began to explore Surrealism and Expressionism. He was part of a group of artists known as the School of London, which included Francis Bacon, Leon Kossof and Frank Auerbach. Artist R.B. Kitaj characterized these painters as having a unique style of work that leaned heavily into the figurative.

Bacon is considered Freud’s most significant influence. Before their friendship, his paintings were linear and thinly painted. After meeting Bacon, he stopped using soft sable brushes and employed stiff hog hair brushes, trimming them down to nubs. He used thick paint, layering and smearing each application to build forms through pigments. Even into his 80s, he would often paint for 14 to 18 hours a day, frequently depicting his subjects at larger-than-life-size. His artistic process could last one to two years for each work as he spent intensive time with prospective models.

He died in 2011 at age 88. Freud’s paintings can be found in numerous museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Britain in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He was appointed a Companion of Honour in 1983 and a member of the Order of Merit in 1993.

Find original Lucian Freud prints and multiples, drawings and watercolors and other art on 1stDibs.

More From This Seller

View All

Lucian FreudThe Painter's Doctor, 2006

The Painter's Doctor

By Lucian Freud

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Lucian Freud (1922-2011) was a seminal figure in 20th-century British art, celebrated for his raw and psychologically charged exploration of the human form. With his distinctive fi...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Portrait Prints

Materials

Etching

Lucian Freud (1922–2011) - Head of a Girl II - Etching on paper - 1982

By Lucian Freud

Located in Varese, IT

Etching on wove paper, edited in 1982. Limited edition, only 16 copies of the work were printed, numbered from 1/16 to 16/16 + 4 numbered "Studio Proof" copies. Numbered as Studio Pr...

Category