He shaves with an old school razor, using a paint brush to apply the soap. The photograph, taken of Lucian Freud, grandson of Sigmund, who did in 2011, accompanies the first information board as you enter the Royal Academy’s exhibition. His longtime assistant David Dawson had access during such intimate moments, and it is a very telling image. He is in his bathroom. Everything is black, white or grey except for his flesh, which in 2006, his latter years, is showing his age (84 at that point). He has that distinctive intensity in his eyes, but looks down and away from the camera, almost melancholy. Oddly, his hair, windswept to the side, is thin and delicate, like an artist’s sable brush, finer than the hog’s hair variety (more about the tools of the trade later). In this photograph the brush hand is blurred, suggesting rapid movement. Noticeably too, his clothing, an over-sized white shirt, held in place with a tight, black belt, suggests a martial artist wielding a samurai sword, in graceful poise. Our view is that of being behind the mirror, and despite having blade in hand, he is not bothered with his own image.
You can’t help looking for clues in Freud’s paintings, for signs of character, personality, hidden depths revealed through a glance in the eyes, a tilt of the head or the curve of a figure. Just as in ordinary life, reading subtle body-language for hints of feeling or thought. But Freud, unlike his famous grandfather, shunned any suggestion that he was aiming to capture the inner workings of the mind or heart. Rather he concerned himself, allegedly, with likeness above all else. His portraits, of himself or anyone else for that matter, are exercises in visual scrutiny above all else, that’s for sure. He observed very well. This exhibition is a celebration and study of the act of close looking.
This story is from the November 2019 IP130 edition of Ink Pellet.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 2019 IP130 edition of Ink Pellet.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Joel Kern
Still only, 31, Joel Kern started Make Believe 16 years ago. The company provides drama, dance and singing training for children and now has 50 franchised branches. He chatted to Susan Elkin.
Free At Last!
Fourth Monkey Actor Training company announces accredited BA (Hons) Acting course and the introduction of audition fee wavers for all.
Looking Closely
Two contrasting exhibitions caught the eye of our graham Hooper
Composed Comfort
Paul Fincham is a composer whose carol Ring The Bells will be sung in concerts all over the country this christmas and whose opera The Happy Princess got good reviews last summer. Susan Elkin meets him.
What Makes A Good Pantomime?
An annual tradition or perhaps the fi rst visit to the theatre, going to a christmas show should be a truly memorable experience. Susan Elkin has some pointers.
A Rye Gem
Susan Elkin met with Theatre Peckham AD Suzann Mclean, discovering this hub has much to offer
Playing Shakespeare With Deutsche Bank
Proving an unmitigated success, the annual Playing Shakespeare season at The Globe promises to enthral, engage and entertain thousands more teenagers this spring. Susan Elkin is a huge, well wrapped up fan.
Dancers Wellbeing
As the Head of Dance at READ College, I am passionate about ensuring that my young students have the very best start to their professional dance training and consequently their future careers. This means educating our young people about how to look after themselves both physically and psychologically.
Supporting Students Through Design
Hot on the heels of the new digital Theatre+ platform release featured in last month’s Inkpellet (see bit.ly/Ip112Nov16), we asked matthew Nichols (director of drama, manchester Grammar school and chief Examiner of GcsE drama, aQa) to take us through his ideal playlist on dT+, as a guide for drama teachers looking to use digital resources to support the teaching of design skills in the classroom.
Careers In Theatre
Susan Elkin Pays a Visit to Half Moon Theatre to Learn How They Are Enthusing Pupils to Look at Possible Careers in the Theatre.