Lucian Freud (Hardcover)

by William Feaver (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This testament to the massive oeuvre of one of Europe's most celebrated painters begins with an illuminating biographical sketch by Feaver (former art critic for the Observer) that depicts Freud's journey from favorite son to mediocre student, reveling womanizer to husband and father. Readers looking for a window into Freud's remarkable method and vision will benefit from the extensive quotes in this section, as well as the four interviews provided. The paintings themselves, richly reproduced, are intense portraits featuring a dark conflict between stark realism and profound emotional pull; his figures, usually nude, capture the vacancy and impact of death in their alarmingly static expressions. Freud's self-taught skill and precision are evident on every page in his careful, heavy brushstrokes (he often cleaned the brush after each stroke) and representational precision. Coming into fruition in the era of Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism, Freud emerged, amazingly, as a figurative painter in the most traditional sense: "Expressionism is a translation from what is in life," Freud said, "Expressionism is exaggerated." In light of the stunning work displayed here, his negative opinion of the genre is earned. A necessity for art scholars and an absolute pleasure for the novice, this gorgeous collection of Freud's discomforting work is perfectly fitting in scope and heft.
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Review
LUCIAN FREUD by William Feaver (Rizzoli, 488 pages; $135). The most famous living painter in Britain now has a substantial volume to match his spectacularly ponderous subjects. With more than 400 reproductions and an essay and interviews by the British critic William Feaver, the book takes the full measure of Mr. Freud's career, from his early still-lifes to his mature self-portraits. In Mr. Feaver's wry prose, one portrait exudes "lustrous fleshiness and squiffy malevolence," another "breathes the snoring exhaustion of full-term pregnancy." In his conversations with the author, the artist reminisces about his muses (Leigh Bowery), influences (Constable, Courbet) and contemporaries (Pinter, Bacon), circling back to the maniacally intense commitment and robust "inner life" he has consistently demanded from his sitters. KAREN ROSENBERG -- New York Times, 12/7/2007

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 488 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli; First Edition edition (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847829529
• ISBN-13: 978-0847829521
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 10.6 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #210,592 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, April 2, 2008

By	Benjamin (UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The book opens with an essay by William Feaver; personal and enlightening it makes fascinating reading; the writer has clearly known the artist for some time. Feaver conveys a clear picture of the artist, his background and training, and his approach to his work. Also included are four conversations between Fever and Lucian Freud: November 1992 (appeared The Observer December 1992), April 1998 (The Observer May 1998), November 2001 (on John Constable) and February 2007. The book concludes with a List of Illustrations, fairly brief Chronology and a Bibliography.

This book is illustrated throughout in full-colour including the black and white drawings but not the etchings, which alone are reproduced in black and white half-tone. There are 362 illustrations in the Plates section with many more pictures accompanying the essay.

This large format book comes in a very substantial slip-case. The outstanding feature of the book however is the reproduction of the paintings; mostly full-page in size, with many bleed images and several double-page spreads. The work is arranged chronologically with the earliest dating from 1939 up to 2006; almost entirely portraits, figures or groups, there is the occasional still life and a few scenes. An impressive and beautiful book superbly illustrated, it is to be highly recommended.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice., November 12, 2007

By	Rico Lebrun - See all my reviews

This is a very nice reprint in a slipcase version. Its artwork chronicles up throgh 2006. I have the old Random House slip case book from 1996 with an intro by Bernard. The reproductions up through '96 are almost all the same. The Random House versions images are about 20 percent bigger. This new book has three nice interviews with Freud. This version has about 75 paintings beyond the 1996 version. Not enough for me to keep the book, but If you are looking for the best catalog of his work, this is it. Get it now, it will go out of print and a book shark will be happy to sell it to you at 5 times its current price.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Freud (Lucian) bible, June 29, 2008

By	Claude Reich (Florianopolis, Brazil and Paris, France) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Among the many publications available on the British master, this one is undoubtedly the best. Written by a specialist of Freud's art, it is almost a catalogue raisonné and follows a chronological pattern that starts with the early paintings from the 1940's and ends with the latest works from 2007. Especially interesting are the various interviews of the artist that give invaluable insight on his working methods and how he views his own art. All the illustrations are in full color and enable the reader to distinguish the thick and brutal brushstrokes of the painter and his ability to extract the beauty in the ugliness of the human being.

A tour de force of an artbook.