Man Smoking 1987

Lucian Freud made this painting, Man Smoking, using oil on canvas at an unknown date. I’m really drawn to the way Freud builds up the image through layers of paint, almost like he’s constructing a physical presence on the canvas. The colors are earthy and warm, but there's also this rawness in the brushstrokes, especially in the face. Take a close look at the area around the man's cheek. You can see how Freud uses these short, almost brutal strokes of color to define the contours and capture the texture of the skin. The paint is thick in places, creating a tangible sense of weight and volume. And yet, despite the intensity of the marks, there's also a vulnerability in the way he depicts the subject. It reminds me a little of some of Jenny Saville's unflinching portraits, that same willingness to confront the human form head-on, without flinching. Ultimately, Freud invites us to see beyond the surface, to engage with the complexities of human experience in all its messy, imperfect glory.