auction house Sotheby's puts on evening auction of contemporary works of art, which will be held on February 10 in London, a rare painting brush Lyusiena Freud (Lucian Freud) - author of the most expensive work of living artists .

customers' attention is invited to "Self-portrait with a black eye," written in 1978 year. He has long been kept in a European private collection, never before exhibited, and therefore not mentioned in the literature about the artist's work. Estimate of this rare, but very significant work of 3-4 million pounds.

• LYUSIEN Freud
  Self-portrait with a black eye. Ok. 1978
  Oil on canvas. 18,8 x 14,3 Sotheby's. 10.02.10. Lot number 67
  Estimate: 3-4 million pounds

history of this portrait as follows: Freud quarreled with a taxi driver and was hit in the face. But rather than continue a journey or seek assistance from a doctor, the eccentric artist hurried to his studio so that, despite the pain, to capture on canvas his distorted features. That's everyday incident served as a source of inspiration for him.

Speaking of "Self-Portrait with a black eye, Uestfal Cheyenne (Cheyenne Westphal), chairman of the department of modern art Sotheby's Europe, said:" Freud, whose solid reputation for the past 70 years does not decrease and has no equal, of course, is one of the greatest living artists. He usually performs a few paintings a year, and for each of them requires dozens posing sessions, each of them constantly recycled. Given the Herculean efforts that Freud puts into his work, and the circumstances by which was created a self-portrait, it becomes clear that this work is very important for the creative heritage of this esteemed artist ».

• LYUSIEN Freud
  Guy and Speck. 1981. Oil on canvas. 76 x 60
  Sotheby's. 10.02.10. Lot number 66
  Estimate: 0,8-1,2 million pounds

In addition to the "Self", at the auction on February 10 will also be available four of Lyusiena Freud. Among them, the canvas 1981 "Guy and Speck," which depicts an art dealer Guy Hart (Guy Hart) and his dog breed Jack Russell terrier, named Speck. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of this work is from 800 thousand to 1.2 million pounds.

attention of buyers will be offered, and another interesting lot - "Portrait of Christian Berard, the famous French artist, illustrator and designer. He was executed in late December 1948, shortly before the sudden death Berard (Christian Bérard) at the Theater de Marigny in February 1949. This work does not appear on the market since 1996, is estimated at 300-400 thousand pounds.

• LYUSIEN Freud
  Portrait of Christian Berard. 1948
  Paper on cardboard, pencil. 41 x 30
  Sotheby's. 10.02.10. Lot number 65
  Estimate: 300-400 thousand pounds

Those interested can also purchase painting "Head of a Girl (1973-1974), previously estimated by experts at 600-800 thousand pounds, as well as a book by William Samson (William Samson) The Equilibriad with Freud's self-portrait and other paintings of the artist (estimate 100-150 thousand pounds).

Material prepared Ekaterina Guseva, AI

Source: sothebys.com , artinvestment.ru