On the 7^th January, Lower Sixth Art students took a trip to Lucian Freud: The Self-portrait exhibition at the Royal Academy.

The exhibition pieces were categorised into different sections, ranging from when he first started sketching in his teenage years (1940s) to the 2000s, prior to his death. The chosen pieces were predominantly self-portraits however there were some drawings and paintings of models nude lying in a variety of positions and angles. The rooms were organised chronologically and we were able to see how his artwork developed and how his style of working changed through the years.

Seeing Freud’s depiction of himself throughout his life and the development of his artwork, to me shows the cycle of life, which links to our topic this term – the idea of being human. Seeing his paintings develop and watching his depiction of himself in his portraits deteriorate effectively shows this. You can see how his paintings change, along with his changing and ageing face. This was very interesting and very successfully done, however it was not intentional as Freud is simply showing how his perception of himself changed over the years, and this is displayed in his work.

Rosie Walsh

Year 12