John Deakin 1964

Lucian Freud made this small portrait of John Deakin using oil on canvas, but when? The surface is worked so intensely, the paint squeezed and dragged across the canvas, that the whole thing feels kind of… raw. I can almost smell the linseed oil. It's like Freud is building Deakin's face, modelling with the paint, thick reds, browns, and fleshy pinks. I love how the ears are practically glowing, sticking out like he’s really listening. Then there’s the forehead, mapped with lines, and those eyes – dark, deep-set. Each brushstroke feels like a little decision, a little thought, contributing to this very alive, very present face. You can see him, and you can see Freud figuring him out. Think about Chaim Soutine, another artist who wasn’t afraid of a little ugliness, who used paint to really dig into the human condition. It's less about likeness and more about something deeper.