Portrait of a Head 2001

Lucian Freud rendered this ‘Portrait of a Head’ using etching, a technique favored for its stark lines. Notice the way the sitter's long hair frames her face, drawing our eyes to her expression. Here, the scarf becomes more than mere clothing; it's a protective barrier, a swaddle against the world. The motif of a draped figure, swathed in fabric, harkens back to the Renaissance and even further to classical antiquity. Think of veiled Madonnas, shrouded in sorrow, or ancient sculptures draped to convey modesty or mourning. Freud strips away the idealization, offering raw vulnerability. The eyes, shadowed and averted, stir a deep empathy. Here, Freud taps into our shared human experience of introspection. He reveals the hidden currents beneath the surface, a powerful engagement with the viewer’s own subconscious. These images are not static but carry a life of their own.