Rose and Sweet Pea 1947

"Rose and Sweet Pea" is a 1947 painting by Lucian Freud, known for his realistic and often unsettling depictions of the human figure. This work, however, features a single red rose with a wilting stem and a detached sweet pea pod, against a background of a blue and grey wall. The stark simplicity and muted color palette, characteristic of Freud's early work, create a sense of quiet melancholy, suggesting the fragility of life and the inevitable passage of time.