Eli 2002

Editor: Here we have Lucian Freud's "Eli" from 2002, an oil painting rendering of a dog— but not just *any* dog. I can’t help but think about how vulnerably this beautiful creature is splayed across the canvas… such intense realism! I'm really struck by the raw emotion Freud manages to convey with those impasto brushstrokes. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: That’s perceptive, the vulnerability. Freud had this unflinching, almost brutal honesty, didn't he? He wasn't about idealizing. The pose seems completely un-self-conscious. Do you find yourself wondering about the relationship between Freud, that very particular fleshy palette and *everything else*? The colour relationships of the human form here next to his hound is *so* telling.. it is such intimacy and care and, if you don’t mind me adding, so *honest.* Editor: I see what you mean...like he's stripping away pretense to show us something essential. I do love his visceral interpretation; its unlike others. The feet do add a surprising intimacy. Is it known who they belong to? Curator: Ah! Who do they belong to? Here comes the story! As is written in the biography on him - “Breakfast with Lucian” Geordie Greig writes – *There can’t be many owners of pedigree dogs who find themselves having to act as both minder and life-model.* What did Eli’s presence mean? Well only Mr.Freud and Eli know that! One must wonder though - what sort of mood created this! Perhaps one we should be able to create in our own relationships! What do you think? Editor: So interesting! A bond forged in companionship, art, and well, simply *being* together. It's a tender narrative when you view it through that lens, which I didn’t initially. It has given a new fresh perspective for me, certainly. Curator: Exactly! It’s there, isn’t it? I find I have the capacity to admire. Thanks for sharing your view, really.