Author(s): Geordie Greig

Biography & Memoir | Fine Art

An insider's account--the first of its kind--of the thoroughly unconventional life of one of the twentieth century's most shockingly original painters Lucian Freud's art is instantly recognizable: shocking and even psychologically disturbing, his portraits convey a profound yet compelling sense of discomfort. Twice married and the father of at least a dozen children, his many relationships with women were the subject of much gossip--but the man himself remained a mystery. An intensely private individual (during his lifetime he managed to prevent two planned biographies from emerging), Freud's life, like his paintings, invite questions that have had no answer--until now. In "Breakfast with Lucian," Geordie Greig, one of a few close friends who regularly had breakfast with the painter during the last years of his life, tells an insider's account--accessible, engaging, revealing--of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating and enigmatic figures. Greig unravels the tangled thread of a life lived on Freud's own uncompromising terms. Based on private conversations in which Freud held forth on everything from first love to gambling debts to the paintings of Velazquez, as well as interviews with friends, lovers, and some of Freud's children who have never before spoken publicly about their relationships with the painter, this is a deeply personal memoir that is also informed by a keen appreciation of Freud's art. Fresh, funny, and ultimately profound, "Breakfast with Lucian" is an essential portrait--one worthy of one of the greatest painters of our time.