Naked Child Laughing 1963

Lucian Freud made this small painting, titled "Naked Child Laughing," using oil on canvas, at an unknown date. Freud’s brushstrokes are visible, each one a deliberate mark, building up the form with layers of paint. It’s like watching him sculpt with color, a process of adding and subtracting, searching for the right form. The surface is tactile; you can almost feel the texture of the paint. Look at how he models the form of the child's body, the ochre and brown hues creating a sense of depth and volume. The color palette is restrained, earthy tones that evoke a sense of intimacy. Notice the dark outlines, how they define the contours of the figure. It’s interesting how he captures the softness of the skin with such directness. Freud reminds me of artists like Paula Rego. Like Rego, he was interested in the human figure as a site of psychological exploration. And like her, he was uninterested in idealization, choosing instead to reveal the raw, unvarnished truth of the body. This painting invites us to embrace the beauty of imperfection and to find joy in the messy, unpredictable process of seeing.