Sally Clarke 2008

Lucian Freud painted this portrait of Sally Clarke, the celebrated chef, with oil on canvas. It’s an interesting example of how the institutional worlds of food and fine art might meet. Considered alongside Freud’s other portraits, it embodies his commitment to unflinching realism. Made in Britain, it embodies many elements of social realism that you might find across twentieth century European art. Freud's portraits frequently challenged social norms by portraying his subjects without idealization, and with great attention to their lived experiences. To understand a portrait like this, we might need to know more about the sitter and her relation to the artist. Research into the archives of galleries and museums can often give clues as to the context in which a work was made. From there, we can start to understand its meaning in relation to institutions and contemporary culture.