The 1995 life-size work, “Benefits Supervisor Sleeping,” fetched $33.6 million during bidding at Christie’s auction house in New York. The previous record was for “Hanging Heart,” a painting by Jeff Koonz that sold for $23.5 million, said Rik Pike, a spokesman for Christie’s.[From Overweight nude sets art world record - CNN.com]
A life sized painting of a plus size model has now set the record for the highest price paid for a work by a living artist. a beautiful work by Lucian Freud, this piece is starkly real with wonderful skin tones. I particularly like the sense of gravity. Freud has been particularly hot recently on the art market but it is delightful to see nudes placed so prominently these days.
The model, 51 year old Sue Tilly, met Freud in a nightclub 20 years ago and has modeled for him on a number of occasions. This particular painting took two years of her modeling with only three days off. While Freud was a tough task master she has to be thrilled at being assured a place in history.
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Since so many people are now what is termed plus size, i think it only makes sense that people are more willing to buy art that represents them.
I have recently photographed and painted a slightly chubby girl. She is not really overweight, but certainly not the stick thin. Real is how I describe her. The painting is called “Francesca Standing”