Freudian Tendencies

So one of the things that I always try to do during a holiday is to catch up on some culture.  Usually it's films (more of this another time) and yesterday it was catching an exhibition that I'd been dying to see - Lucian Freud Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery.  Lucian Freud was one of the great realist painters of the 20th century and had a great preoccupation with the human face and figure.  Family, friends and his lovers formed a large part of his work, including himself when he couldn't find anyone else to sit for him.  A friend described his work as 'repulsive, but in an interesting way' and although the art critics would be horrified at this rather un-erudite critique it has a certain ring of honesty to it.  Freud did paint 'honestly', lumps, bumps, florid skin, and large women ('Big Sue')warts and all.  The exhibition didn't disappoint; there were paintings that I'd seen before, but some new ones too from private collections.  In fact I'd never seen the quartet of  paintings of 'Big Sue' two of which were described as 'Benefits Supervisor Resting' and 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping' in the catalogue which made me laugh inside..it's always too quiet to laugh out loud in a gallery - people just stare and think you're a weirdo!  Sue Tilley sat for Freud inbetween her day job at the Department of Social Security and the results are a definite celebration of the flesh. 

Sue Tilley 'Big Sue'

You can catch this exhibition up until 27th May 2012 - definitely one to see.

Magnificent view of London (inc Big Ben/Neson's Column) from NP Restaurant

The bar!!!

Orchids (on the bar!!)