Head of a Man 1982

This painting of a man’s head is by Lucian Freud and there is no date for it. The overall feeling is brown, maybe a bit melancholy. You can see how Freud builds the image with thick brushstrokes, especially in the face. The paint is really loaded on there! It makes me wonder, what was it like to sit for him? He’s focusing on the raw reality of the man, the weight of his brow, the lines etched in his face. It’s like he’s trying to capture something beyond just a likeness. I can imagine Freud studying his subject intensely, almost like he’s trying to peel back layers and see what’s underneath. The way he uses the paint, building up the texture, it’s almost sculptural. And, in the background, figures playing out some kind of drama, and it is a very Freudian touch. It’s like he’s inviting us to look closer, to question what we see, to feel something real.