After Cezanne.

[NNadir]

1999 Lucien Freud (b. 1922, Germany), British.

At the National Gallery of Australia.

[velvet]

1. usually I'm very fond of Freud's work

But this ... this just annoys me. Whatever was he thinking of, chopping out that top section of the canvas? It (ahem) adds nothing at all to the picture. I wish the National Gallery had spent my taxes on a better Freud.

[NNadir]

2. Well, you can send it here to a New York Museum.

I personally love it. If nothing else the humor is fantastic.

It's not quite Courbet's L'Origine du Monde for shock value, but it'll do in a pinch.

[dawg]

5. I don't get the "humor" part ...

To me, the painting shows pain. They guy has two (count 'em, two) women, and one of them is bringing him tea. (yay!) But he is still dissatisfied. There is something (or someone) that he really wants but cannot have.

At least, that's what I see. Maybe I'm coloring it with my own life experience.

[seabeyond]

6. looks like he is sulking.... interesting picture though. i dont get the humor part either

or why a piece is cut out. would be interested in the answer.

[Orrex]

3. Somebody should tell that guy on the right that it's impolite to stair.

[Dr. Strange]

10. He's trying to quit, but can't.

Clearly he needs some sort of 12-step program.

[Orrex]

13. Nicely done.

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear NNadir!

This one surprised me...the topic and the execution.

It's lovely, and breath-taking.

I wonder why the top right is cut out...

Thanks for posting...

:hi:

[hunter]

7. Here, I found the cut out.

With the missing part reunited one tends to look at the lonesome piece of furniture instead of the people... I'd have cut it out too.

Okay, I'm just messing with everyone.

Obviously, one of his three muses has gone missing. Poor guy.

I think this is her:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Odalisque

I could put her in a frame and hang her on the wall, but I will GIMP no more artistic sacrilege...

It is a very humorous painting.

:applause:

[seabeyond]

8. ha ha. but you are right. with the piece in, you do focus on the lone piece of

furniture. that is where the eye is drawn. interesting

[velvet]

11. ooh, nice work ... and yes it is humorous

And I don't mind at all focussing on the piece of furniture. It has a part to play, with its open, empty drawer. From there my eye travels naturally to the tray, the woman holding it and thence around the whole picture. Perfectly reasonable composition.

I tend to think it's not a cut-out but an add-on, to fit the woman with the tray in. And it hurts my head trying to figure out why Freud did that.

If anyone can show there's a purpose to it I'd be grateful. I don't like hatin' on one of my favourite painters.

[hunter]

12. Here, without the "add-on..." quick & dirty.

Let's consider this academic analysis of the very worst sort and not the blatant theft and defacement of a grand artwork. I usually only do this sort of thing to Creative Commons works and have the good sense to keep the worst of my mashups and manipulations to myself.

I do like the original best. It tells the greatest story.

[MilesColtrane]

9. Before Enzyte™

After Enzyte™