Last updated: 27 October 2026
Lucian Freud was the Berlin-born British painter of close, unflinching portraits and nudes. Here you will find our take on his work, his 2026 National Portrait Gallery show, recent auction results and the catalogue you can buy.
Our take on Lucian Freud
Freud painted the people around him. “The subject matter is autobiographical, it’s all to do with hope and memory and sensuality and involvement really,” he said, as quoted by Tate.
The National Portrait Gallery’s 2026 show, Drawing into Painting, was the UK’s largest museum exhibition of his works on paper, and set his drawings and etchings beside the paintings they fed.
His paintings now sell for millions. For most buyers the way in is the exhibition catalogue, which the gallery shop has reduced to £19.95.
Lucian Freud: the essentials
- Born in Berlin on 8 December 1922; his family moved to Britain in 1933. He died in London on 20 July 2011, according to Ben Uri.
- Studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing.
- Appointed a Companion of Honour in 1983 and to the Order of Merit in 1993.
- Grandson of Sigmund Freud.
Lucian Freud exhibitions
- Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting, National Portrait Gallery, London, 12 February to 4 May 2026.
- No new UK show has been announced.
Recent Lucian Freud auction results
Freud’s paintings sell at the top of the market:
- A Young Painter, 1957 to 1958, oil on canvas, 41.9 x 39.1 cm (16 1/2 x 15 3/8 in). Estimate £4 million to £6 million at Sotheby’s London, Modern & Contemporary Evening Auction, 4 March 2026. Sold for about £7.17 million, according to HENI.
Main image: Lucian Freud, 8 December 1953. Photo: unknown photographer, National Portrait Gallery, London, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Prices include buyer’s premium. Last checked: 27 October 2026.
Where to buy Lucian Freud
His paintings and etchings come up at auction. For most people the way in is a book:
- Lucian Freud: Drawing into Painting, £19.95: the paperback exhibition catalogue, 224 pages, with essays by Catherine Lampert, Isabel Seligman and Colm Tóibín, from the National Portrait Gallery shop (reduced from £29.95).
Lucian Freud FAQs
When did Lucian Freud die?
On 20 July 2011, in London.
Was Lucian Freud related to Sigmund Freud?
Yes. He was Sigmund Freud’s grandson.
What did A Young Painter sell for?
About £7.17 million at Sotheby’s London in March 2026, against an estimate of £4 million to £6 million.
Is there a Lucian Freud catalogue to buy?
Yes. The National Portrait Gallery’s Drawing into Painting catalogue is £19.95 in paperback.
More from CoolCuration
- Frieze Masters review: older art at Frieze Week.
- National Art Pass: discounts on big shows across the UK.
- Great Art Explained: James Payne’s guide to how famous works were made.
- British Art Fair review: modern British art for sale.
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Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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