Final Portrait 1977

Lucian Freud made this unfinished portrait, 'Final Portrait'. The neutral, muted tones give it a strangely melancholic feel, and it’s all about process. You can see the underpainting and areas where Freud hasn't quite resolved the form. Freud’s not trying to hide anything here, he's saying, “Here's the raw stuff of art.” Look at the way he builds up the planes of the face with these almost sculptural strokes. Thick and thin paint create the illusion of depth and volume, but he never lets you forget it’s just paint. The hair is a mass of darks that almost bleeds into the background, creating a kind of halo. The way Freud approaches the figure is akin to the work of artists like Jenny Saville, who also explore the materiality of the body through paint. It shows that art is an ongoing conversation across time, and that there is no one correct interpretation.