Lucian Freud Quotes

A painter must think of everything he sees as being there entirely for his own use and pleasure.
Lucian Freud

Everything, Pleasure, Painter

My work is purely autobiographical... It is about myself and my surroundings.
Lucian Freud

The aura given out by a person or object is as much a part of them as their flesh.
Lucian Freud

Person, Object, Aura

Now that I know what I want, I don't have to hold on to it quite so much.
Lucian Freud

Full, saturated colours have an emotional significance I want to avoid.
Lucian Freud

Emotional, Full, Avoid

The character of the artist doesn't enter into the nature of the art.
Lucian Freud

Nature, Art, Character

The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.
Lucian Freud

Real, Longer, Object

A painter's tastes must grow out of what so obsesses him in life that he never has to ask himself what it is suitable for him to do in art.
Lucian Freud

I remember Francis Bacon would say that he felt he was giving art what he thought it previously lacked. With me, it's what Yeats called the fascination with what's difficult. I'm only trying to do what I can't do.
Lucian Freud

Art, Giving, Trying

The painter's obsession with his subject is all that he needs to drive him to work.
Lucian Freud

Work, Him, Obsession

And, since the model he faithfully copies is not going to be hung up next to the picture, since the picture is going to be there on its own, it is of no interest whether it is an accurate copy of the model.
Lucian Freud

Picture, Since, Whether

As far as I am concerned the paint is the person. I want it to work for me just as flesh does.
Lucian Freud

Work, Person, Far

I am only interested in painting the actual person, in doing a painting of them, not in using them to some ulterior end of art. For me, to use someone doing something not native to them would be wrong.
Lucian Freud

Art, End, Someone

I paint people not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be.
Lucian Freud

Happen, Paint, Spite

I want paint to work as flesh.
Lucian Freud

Work, Paint, Flesh

I would wish my portraits to be of the people, not like them. Not having a look of the sitter, being them.
Lucian Freud

Wish, Sitter, Portraits

Painting is sometimes like those recipes where you do all manner of elaborate things to a duck, and then end up putting it on one side and only using the skin.
Lucian Freud

End, Sometimes, Painting

Since the model he so faithfully copies is not going to be hung up next to the picture... it is of no interest whether it is an accurate copy of the model.
Lucian Freud

Picture, Since, Whether

The model should only serve the very private function for the painter of providing the starting point for his excitement.
Lucian Freud

Point, Excitement, Private

The painter must give a completely free rein to any feeling or sensations he may have and reject nothing to which he is naturally drawn.
Lucian Freud

Feeling, Nothing, May

The paintings that really excite me have an erotic element or side to them irrespective of subject matter.
Lucian Freud

Matter, Side, Subject

The picture is all he feels about it, all he thinks worth preserving of it, all he invests it with. If all the qualities which a painter took from the model for his picture were really taken, no person could be painted twice.
Lucian Freud

Person, Worth, Picture

There is a distinction between fact and truth. Truth has an element of revelation about it. If something is true, it does more than strike one as merely being so.
Lucian Freud

Truth, True, Between

When I look at a body it gives me choice of what to put in a painting, what will suit me and what won't.
Lucian Freud

Put, Choice, Body

Whether it will convince or not, depends entirely on what it is in itself, what is there to be seen.
Lucian Freud

Whether, Seen, Depends

Share with your Friends

Everyone likes a good quote - don't forget to share.

Biography

Nationality: British

Type: Artist

Born: December 8, 1922

Died: July 20, 2011

Links

Find on Amazon: Lucian Freud

Cite this Page: Citation

Popular Topics

Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

Related Authors

Damien Hirst
Andy Goldsworthy
Alfred Sisley
David Lloyd
Howard Hodgkin
Benjamin Haydon
Henry Fuseli
More

Get Social with BrainyQuote

BrainyQuote Desktop

BrainyQuote Mobile

Site

Quote of the Day

Social

BQ on Pinterest

Syndication

Funny Quote Feed

Love Quote Feed

Nature Quote Feed

About Us