Leigh under the Skylight 1994

Lucian Freud painted 'Leigh under the Skylight', with oils on canvas, using the model Leigh Bowery as his subject. Freud's process feels raw, like an archeological dig, scraping back layers to reveal something very real. The paint is laid on thick, troweled almost, especially where he models Leigh's flesh. It gives a real sense of the body's topography. Look closely at the area around Leigh's belly - it's almost topographical in its construction, with each ripple and fold captured with palpable realism. Freud has an eye for the unusual. There's something deeply unnerving, but also compelling, in the way he renders the human form. I am reminded of Jenny Saville, another artist unafraid to look unflinchingly at the body and render what she sees with skill and precision. Art is about looking, really looking, and then showing us what you see.