Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Lucian Freud. It dates from 1997 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Lucian Freud made this untitled print in 1997. It shows an empty chair in his studio. The work never got published—just proofs.
Freud’s printer, Marc Balakjian, worked with him on these etchings. Freud later called the print a waste, saying the plate looked better than the final print.
Check out another Freud chair painting at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This untitled print is one of a group of proofs for etchings by Lucian Freud, created in 1997. It depicts an empty chair in Freud's studio.
Subject & Meaning
The print shows a studio armchair, a subject also explored in Freud's 1997 painting 'Armchair by the Fireplace'. The composition of the print closely resembles that of the painting.
Technique & Style
Freud was dissatisfied with the final print, describing it as 'illustrative' and feeling that it did not live up to the potential of the plate. He reportedly spent around 100 hours working on it.
History & Provenance
The print comes from the collection of Marc Balakjian, Freud's printer from 1985, who worked closely with the artist on his etchings. At least two impressions of this print exist, one of which is in a private collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucian Michael Freud (; 8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011) was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, who is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists.
