Painter Lucian Freud dies at the age of 88

July 22, 2011, updated at 09: 09 UTC David Sillito look behind famous worksRealist painter of artist Lucian Freud, Lucian Freud, one of Britain's most distinguished and highly regarded artists, has died at the age of 88.

Dealer of New York William Acquavella said that Freud had died at his home in London on Wednesday after an unspecified illness.

Freud, a grandson of the psycho-analyst Sigmund Freud, was born in Berlin in 1922 and fled to Britain with his family in 1933, when he was 10.

Freud - known for his paintings of nudes - became a British citizen in 1939.

Boy on a couch recovered ￡ 1. 49 m last year, a record price for a work on paper by Freud

His works have been increasingly top later in recent auctions and his portrait of a woman naked overweight sleeping on a couch sold in 2008 for $33. 6 m (20. 6 m) - a world record for a work by a living artist.

'He lived to paint'

Mr Acquavella described to Freud "as one of the greatest painters of the 20th century".

"In the company was exciting, humble, warm and witty." "He lived to paint and painted until the day he died, away from the noise of the art world."

Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate Gallery, said: "the vitality of Freud's nudes, still lifes intensity and the presence of his portraits of relatives and friends of guarantee Lucian Freud a unique place in the art of Pantheon 20 from the end of the century."

"His first paintings redefining art British and his latest works stand comparison with the great figurative painters of any period".

Former critic observer William Feaver, knew Freud for more than 40 years, said Freud was someone that had portrait restored to its proper place, concentrating on all sorts of people, not only successful entrepreneurs and their wives.

Lucian Freud Musa Sue Tilley talks to breakfast for the BBC about their experiences with the artist

"He said everything he did was autobiographical and a self-portrait." "It was a witty, generous with him but impulsive artist."

Mr Feaver said that Freud had left several paintings unfinished.

He said: "he liked always keep a pair of paintings on the fly, where it left off the twig and I know what he has done".

Former Muse Sue Tilley, who posed for benefits Supervisor naked sleeping, said she had "fantastic experiences" while posing for portrait.

"I learned last night on Twitter, angry, and started crying," she told BBC breakfast.

"I have not seen for a long time and it is not really a friend now, but it is part of my life that kind of gone".

Order of merit

Freud, son of an architect and brother of the final broadcaster Clement Freud, was at the Central School of art in London and then to the East Anglian School of painting and drawing and Goldsmiths College, London.

Initially it confined to the drawing, but 17 had accepted a self-portrait for the reproduction in the journal horizon.

Freud was recognized from the outset and after a stint in the Merchant Marine in 1942, had his first solo exhibition in 1944, when he was 21.

Continue reading the main story, grandson of Sigmund FreudBorn 1922, his family moved to Germany Great Britain in 1933 to escape persecution spent most of life in Paddington in London as its sleaziness appealed publicly owned works include bananas in the Southampton City Art Gallery and portrait of Sir Cedric Morris at the National Museum of WalesAfter war went to France and Greece, and having been painting then, returned to United Kingdom in 1948 to teaching for 10 years at the Slade art school.

Freud was married twice, first to the daughter of the sculptor Jacob Epstein, Kitty, your child theme with a white dog. His second wife was the daughter of the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.

Other key works of Freud include sleeping naked girl and reflection (self-portrait). The Queen and supermodel Kate Moss are among those who have sat for the artist.

Freud was a member of the order of merit, one of the honours of chivalry most prestigious Britain presented to individuals for the Queen of great success in the fields of the arts, learning, literature and science.

The honour is restricted to 24 members at any time, as well as other foreign recipients and past include Florence Nightingale, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Edward Elgar and Mother Teresa.

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