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 FreudRead
I could never put anything into a picture that wasn't actually there in front of me. That would be a pointless lie, a mere bit of artfulness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity in artistic representation.
Lucian Freud asserts that true art must reflect reality as it is, without embellishment or fabrication. He sees the act of creating art that distorts or lies about what is actually present as devoid of purpose, suggesting that the integrity of the artist's vision is paramount in capturing the essence of the subject.
Themes
ArtTruthAuthenticityRealityRepresentation
In practice
Example use cases
In a gallery talk about artistic integrity, this quote can be used to highlight the necessity of truth in art.
More from Lucian Freud
All quotes βWhen I look at a body it gives me choice of what to put in a painting, what will suit me and what won't. 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 FreudRead
It is the only point of getting up every morning: to paint, to make something good, to make something even better than before, not to give up, to compete, to be ambitious.
Lucian FreudRead
The character of the artist doesn't enter into the nature of the art
Lucian FreudRead
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 FreudRead
I have a hatred of habit and routine. And what dogs love is just that. They like regular everything, and I don't have regular anything. I have a timetable, but no routine.
Lucian FreudRead
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