The Egyptian Book
The Egyptian Book
Signed Print
Lucian Freud
£3,350-£5,000Value Indicator
$7,000-$10,500 Value Indicator
$6,000-$9,500 Value Indicator
¥35,000-¥50,000 Value Indicator
€4,000-€6,000 Value Indicator
$35,000-$50,000 Value Indicator
¥660,000-¥980,000 Value Indicator
$4,550-$7,000 Value Indicator
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46 x 43cm, Edition of 40, Etching
Medium: Etching
Edition size: 40
Year: 1994
Size: H 46cm x W 43cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
Last Auction: April 2023
Value Trend:
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Meaning & Analysis
The Egyptian Book (1994) is an etching by Lucian Freud that shows an open volume resting on a rumpled cloth surface. Across its pages are two sculpted heads, framed like illustrations in a catalogue or museum guide. The two enigmatic faces, with their stylised features, are reminiscent of ancient Egyptian artefacts.
Unusual in Freud’s work for its focus on objects rather than people, The Egyptian Book nonetheless feels closely tied to his ongoing interest in portraiture. The sculpted faces - fixed, mute, enduring - sit in contrast to the live, often unguarded subjects of his better-known prints. Yet the same attention to physical presence remains. The dense, tactile mark-making across the fabric, paper and stone gives weight to the image, as though time itself has settled into the folds.
Famed for his representations of the human form, Lucian Freud is one of the 20th Century's most celebrated artists. The grandson of psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, the artist confronts the psychological depth and bare complexities of the human body. From his early works to his celebrated nudes and portraits, Freud's canvases resonate with an almost tactile intensity, capturing the essence of his subjects with unwavering honesty. Freud painted only himself, close friends, and family, which floods his work with an intimacy that is felt by the viewer. His pursuit of honesty through portraiture shaped the trajectory of figurative art in the 20th century.
