Exhibition: Lucian Freud, Unseen, The National Portrait Gallery, Curator: Sarah Howgate

Upon my visit to The National Portrait Gallery to view the ‘Unseen’ works of Lucian Freud, curated by Sarah Howgate, I was confronted with half-finished, roughly sketched, child-like pieces of work. What was presented to the audience in this exhibition was an insight into the life of the artist, from Freud’s childhood years through to later life.

What struck me the most about this exhibition, was one particular childhood drawing by Freud; conveying an ordinary household scene. What the viewer is able to see is a house, garden, sky, and people outside. What resonated with me about this piece is how this is a picture that just about every child drew, and this drawing by Freud is no different to a drawing by any other child. One would not be able to detect that this boy would become the genius that he is known for today.

Within a glass cabinet in the centre of the room lay Freud’s sketch books, strewn open on specific pages. What I found captivating about this was that the viewer is let in to a more unpolished side of Freud. While his painting style is emotive and harsh, this was intended by the artist to be seen by a wide audience; his sketch books were not.

From this exhibition, I was immersed into the real life of Freud.