Bella Second Version
Bella Second Version
Signed Print
Lucian Freud
15 x 14cm, Edition of 25, Etching, 1982
£3,900-£6,000
$7,500-$11,000 Market Value Indicator
$7,000-$11,000 Market Value Indicator
¥35,000-¥50,000 Market Value Indicator
€4,500-€7,000 Market Value Indicator
$40,000-$60,000 Market Value Indicator
¥830,000-¥1,280,000 Market Value Indicator
$5,000-$8,000 Market Value Indicator
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Meaning & Analysis
This sketchily rendered etching was created by Lucian Freud in 1982, and depicts the artist's daughter, Bella, when she was 21-years-old. From the bottom right corner of the composition, Bella's head leans into the centre of the work. Her face is framed by thick black lines of ink, contrasting the delicate lines which delineate the cushion she rests on, and her relaxed clothing. Though her face is heavily hatched to mimic the natural effects of lighting on her skin, her features are rather obscure, as though this might have been an initial or preparatory study of Bella.
For Freud's 14 acknowledged children, sitting to be painted, drawn or etched by their father fostered an intense and unusual connection between them. Bella Freud, one of two daughters fathered by Freud with Bernardine Coverley, was one of the artist's children that returned to model for him throughout his career. Unlike etchings like Bella In Her Pluto Shirt and Bella, Bella's portrait here is less thoroughly conceived. The nature of the print gives us a glimpse into Freud's unique etching process, as we can see clearly how he builds form, tone, and texture using only the etching needle and black ink.
As is usually the case with Freud's depictions of his family, primary focus in the composition is on Bella's face, with the hatching around her neck ending at the button on her shirt. At the very bottom of the composition, Freud started to model Bella's hand, which is cropped out of the frame. The work has a tranquil appeal, revealing an intimate moment between Bella and her father behind the etching plate.
