Bella 1981

This is Lucian Freud's small oil painting, "Bella." I wonder if the title is a simple description, or a private little word between artist and sitter? I love the way Freud worked with the paint here. Look at the flesh tones, all those pinks and yellows, dabbed and daubed. I can almost feel him wrestling with the slippery stuff, trying to nail down the particularity of her skin. It’s like he’s saying, ‘I see you, Bella, in all your messy, human glory.’ The dark contours around her eyes, the set of her mouth, the slight awkwardness of her pose. It feels so honest, you know? Like a real person caught in a moment of quiet repose, a far cry from the idealized images we're so used to seeing. I think about all the painters before him, those portraitists trying to capture the perfect likeness, and how Freud just said, ‘Nah, I’m going to show you the real deal.’ And that's a very beautiful thing to see.