I don't often jump on the 'look who's died' band wagon, but I do feel this time I must say something, despite his age, (and I would feel very pleased to have lived to that age) it was still quite a shock when his death was announced. I was impressed by the coverage on the news, of course money talks and this man really could make some serious cash. And yet you never once felt that that was what it was about. Unlike so many mercenary morons that masquerade under the passport occupation 'artist' he really was the real deal. If completely honest I rate Howard Hodgkin slightly higher up the food chain, simply because he paints with his heart. That said you cannot really come close to understanding Freud's genius for paint until you try painting a portrait for yourself.
My favourite story is the one about when he got into a fight and was so enamoured by the black eye he received he hurried home to paint it! If pushed I would favour his rarer views from a window to his flesh. Love them though I do I feel the emotion crept in to the viewpoints, an emotion that was somewhat lacking in his nudes. Whatever I think is irrelevant, he was a genius with paint and I am pretty sure he died happy, something I will emulate I'm sure.
image from here
Coincidentally, despite it being the 'summer' holidays I felt the distinctive whiff of autumn yesterday closely followed by melancholia.
image from here
2 comments:
Yes, he truly is one whose passing deserves attention. I have to agree with you about preferring those much fewer window views, some marvellous garden paintings, but the power of his nudes (and really, naked rather than nude, so very naked, dead naked) will continue to disturb and unsettle our perception of that whole genre. I'm so glad we saw the grand retrospective at the Pompidou last year.
and I'm trying to ignore what you said about autumn melancholia, since we're still despairingly waiting for summer here. . .
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