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Kai

Lucian Freud British, born Germany
Printer Marc Balakjian British
1991–92
Not on view
When Freud returned to etching in 1982, after a thirty-three-year hiatus, his style had profoundly changed. Instead of sharply drawn contours and narrative content, he focused on capturing the physical and emotional states his subjects revealed during intense portrait sessions, which lasted for several hours a day for weeks or even months. Freud was close with almost all the people he portrayed. His stepson Kai is shown here casually dressed against a sparse background; the simplicity of the setting contrasts with the detailed depiction of his facial features. Although he had exacting standards for his etchings, Freud embraced unintentional marks transferred from plate to print and faint lines that came from modifications to the composition.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Kai
  • Artist: Lucian Freud (British (born Germany), Berlin 1922–2011 London)
  • Publisher: Matthew Marks Gallery
  • Printer: Marc Balakjian (British (born Lebanon), 1938–2017)
  • Date: 1991–92
  • Medium: Etching
  • Dimensions: Plate: 27 1/2 x 21 5/8 in. (69.9 x 54.9 cm)
    Sheet: 31 1/8 x 25 in. (79.1 x 63.5 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005
  • Object Number: 2007.49.590
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Naked Man, Back View, Lucian Freud British, born Germany, Oil on canvas
Naked Man, Back View
Lucian Freud
1991–92
Stroh Violin, George Evans & Co. English, Mahogany and aluminum, British
Stroh Violin
George Evans & Co.
first quarter 20th century
Imaginary View of Venice, houses at left with figures on terraces, a domed church at center in the background, boats and boat-sheds below, and a seated man observing from a wall at right in the foreground, from "Views" (Vedute altre prese da i luoghi altre ideate da Antonio Canal), Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal) Italian, Etching; undivided plate, only state
Imaginary View of Venice, houses at left with figures on terraces, a domed church at center in the background, boats and boat-sheds below, and a seated man observing from a wall at right in the foreground, from "Views" (Vedute altre prese da i luoghi altre ideate da Antonio Canal)
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)
Dedicatee Joseph Smith
1741
The Egyptian Book, Lucian Freud British, born Germany, Etching
The Egyptian Book
Lucian Freud
Publisher Matthew Marks Gallery at Studio Prints
Printer Marc Balakjian
1994
Aeolian Harp, Wood, iron, gut strings, British
Aeolian Harp
British
late 19th century

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