8 Lucian Freud Books that Give Essential Insights on His Life and Work

Written by an art critic William Feaver, The Lives of Lucian Freud: Fame 1968 – 2011 features a series of conversations the author had with Lucian Freud, as well as Freud's private papers, letters, and interviews Feaver did with the artist’s friends and family to explore the intimate life of Freud. The period between 1968 and 2011 was very fruitful for the artist since he painted fiercely and was getting international recognition.

This book charts his dramatic affair with Jacquetta Eliot and the start of two important friendships with Jane Willoughby and Susanna Chancellor. During that time, Lucian Freud's friendship with Francis Bacon came to an end and he developed a new friendship with Frank Auerbach.  From the nineties through the 2000s, he portrayed iconic figures such as performance artist Leigh Bowery, Kate Moss, Jerry Hall, his longtime assistant, David Dawson, his own children, and, in 2001, Queen Elizabeth. By unraveling new insights surrounding his life and his career, this book created a dazzling portrait of one of the most interesting artists of the 20th century.

Featured image: William Feaver, The Lives of Lucian Freud: Fame 1968 – 2011 book cover. Image via Amazon.

Lucian Freud spent seven months working on a portrait of the art critic Martin Gayford. The author’s remembrance of their daily encounters, compiled in a book simply titled Lucian Freud, offers the reader a chance to plunge into the artist’s studio, his most private place, and to understand better the process of this modern master. Gayford imagined this book around a series of close-ups of the artist at work and in conversation in public space and in his studio. The book features many of Lucian Freud’s works, photographs taken by David Dawson of Freud in his studio, and images by prolific painters such as van Gogh and Titian, whom Freud and Gayford discuss.

Featured image: Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud book cover. Image via Amazon.

In a joint effort, Marko Holborn and the above-mentioned David Dawson prepared the book Lucian Freud: A Life as a captivating visual biography of Lucian Freud that includes the words of the artist himself, as well as unpublished private photographs and painted portraits. The private life of Lucian Freud is chronologically analyzed, starting from his childhood snapshots to rarely seen photographs made in his studio in the last weeks of his life. In addition, the artist’s life is illuminated through family photos, images of him in his studio in the presence of some of his most celebrated sitters, and portraits by his peers.

Featured image: Mark Holborn, David Dawson - Lucian Freud: A Life book cover. Image via Amazon.

This particular book revisits Freud’s outstanding self-portraits that have redefined the genre. These suggestive paintings showcase the artist's overwhelming presence, whether he was confronting the viewer directly or appearing as a shadow or reflection. His wide-ranging exploration of the genre is surveyed in this volume through essays by leading authorities.

Featured image: Lucian Freud: The Self-portraits book cover. Image via Amazon.

Published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the artist's birth, the book Lucian Freud: New perspectives brings new insights into him through interviews with leading contemporary artists such as Tracey Emin and Chantal Joffe, who give an incredible testimony to the relevance of Freud today. This great book accompanies the first major exhibition of Freud’s work in 10 years by spotlighting the observations of a new generation of scholars and enthusiasts.

Featured image: Daniel Herrmann, Lucian Freud: New Perspectives book cover. Image via Amazon.

Another book by Martin Gayford and David Dowson, Love Lucian: The Letters of Lucian Freud, 1939 – 1954 brings reproductions of the young Lucian Freud’s illustrated letters. Accompanied by insightful commentary, it offers an intimate insight into the artist’s personality and practice.

Thanks to the Freud estate, Freud’s early letters have been gathered from private collections and public archives. These manuscripts include Freud’s schoolboy notes to his parents as well as his early recognition as a professional artist, revealing the complexity of Freud’s personality. These illustrated letters are reproduced in facsimiles alongside the reproductions of Freud’s works of this period.

Featured image: David Dawson, Martin Gayford, Love Lucian: The Letters of Lucian Freud, 1939 – 1954 book cover. Image via Amazon.

This book provides a meticulous examination of the representation of plant life in Lucian Freud's works, which has not been explored before. Lucian Freud is widely recognized for his portraits, which are highly regarded for their remarkable level of detail and piercing intensity. However, despite approaching his depictions of flowers and plants with the same meticulous approach, these great paintings have largely remained obscure and unknown to many. While Freud's floral pieces may not be as famous as his portraits, they are just as noteworthy for their precision and depth of observation. Therefore, this publication casts a new light on the way Freud has been working with plants and, as such, significantly contributes to his legacy.

Featured image: Giovanni Aloi, Lucian Freud Herbarium book cover. Image via Amazon.

A Painter's Progress: A Portrait of Lucian Freud is the ultimate testimony of David Dawson, who was Lucian Freud’s assistant, companion, and model for two decades. Freud was very protective of his privacy, and only a few people had access to his intimacy, such as the late Bruce Bernard, who made several portraits of the artist. However, David Dawson was the privileged one in front of whom Freud felt comfortable and allowed him to be photographed while working in the studio. A Painter’s Progress is yet another fascinating document centered on one of our most important and influential painters.

Featured image: David Dawson, A Painter's Progress: A Portrait of Lucian Freud book cover. Image via Amazon.