Susanna 1999

Lucian Freud made this portrait of Susanna using oil paints. The thick application of the medium immediately grabs our attention. Look closely, and you’ll notice the visible brushstrokes. Freud applies the paint in a tactile way. The brushstrokes sculpt the form of the sitter, layering texture and weight. In doing so, the artist has not only captured a likeness, but also conveyed a sense of the physical presence of the person depicted. Freud engaged with the traditions of portraiture while pushing beyond the boundaries of mere representation. He made the viewer confront the materiality of paint itself. The intensive labor involved in building up these layers of pigment creates a sense of honesty, a quality often associated with ‘craft’ processes. In prioritizing material and making, Freud challenges the hierarchy between fine art and craft. His focus is not merely on the subject, but on the very act of painting, elevating the process to a central element of the work’s meaning.