Baby on a Green Sofa 1961

Lucian Freud painted "Baby on a Green Sofa" using oil on canvas, a classic pairing. But don't let the traditional materials fool you. Freud's thick impasto and unflinching gaze elevate what could be a sentimental scene. You can almost feel the weight of the paint, mirroring the infant's fleshy presence. His distinctive technique – building up layers of pigment to create a palpable surface – is not about rendering a perfect likeness. Instead, it's a deep dive into the materiality of the subject, and of paint itself. The sheer labor involved in creating such texture is striking. Freud’s commitment to the physical act of painting imbues the work with a sense of the real, pushing beyond mere representation. "Baby on a Green Sofa" challenges us to consider how the artist’s process shapes our understanding, blurring the lines between craft and fine art.