Sue Tilley, who posed for Lucian Freud's famous nude portraits, shares memories of the artist and her experiences as his model as one of his greatest works, 'Sleeping by the Lion Carpet,' is poised to sell for millions at Sotheby's.
Sue Tilley , a muse of the renowned British painter Lucian Freud , reflects on her enduring connection to his art as one of his most celebrated portraits, "Sleeping by the Lion Carpet," prepares for auction at Sotheby's.
Painted in 1996, this monumental nude-part of a series of four large-scale depictions of Tilley-stands as a masterpiece of modern portraiture and is expected to fetch between 25 million and 35 million pounds. The painting, which captures Tilley in a moment of quiet repose, is the last of Freud's iconic reclining nudes of her and will be sold on June 24. Despite the staggering sums these works now command, Tilley, now 69, has never profited financially from them.
Yet she expresses no regrets, emphasizing how the experience transformed her life and introduced her into the rarefied world of international art.
"Who would have thought I'd be in Sotheby's? " she remarks, sitting before the 7 ½-foot canvas in the auction house showroom. Her association with Freud began through mutual friend Leigh Bowery, the influential Australian performance artist who also modeled for the painter. Tilley recalls the ritual of sittings at Freud's London studio-long hours filled with tea, conversation, and a substantial lunch-each painting taking months to complete.
While the poses sometimes grew uncomfortable, she notes that "Sleeping by the Lion Carpet" was among the more tolerable because she was seated upright. Freud, grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, was famous for his uncompromising yet intimate portrayals of friends, family, and even Queen Elizabeth II. His technique involved building up layers of oil paint to render the unique texture and tone of his subjects' skin.
Tilley admired the chaotic energy of his studio, where he would mix drinks with a dirty paintbrush and paint seemed to cover every surface. She often left with flecks of paint on her clothes. Beyond modeling, Tilley was part of London's vibrant 1980s and '90s creative milieu, a world that included Bowery, who ran the legendary Taboo nightclub before his death in 1994 at age 33.
She cherished Freud's stories of his own bohemian youth-tales of driving around in a Rolls-Royce with luminaries like Cecil Beaton and Marlene Dietrich, and encounters with icons such as Judy Garland. For Tilley, the value of the experience lies not in monetary gain but in being part of art history. She is not bothered by the nudity, stating she is "not really vain," and even sees her own body in the painting years later.
Although she acknowledges that the painting will likely end up in the possession of a wealthy collector-"Benefits Supervisor Sleeping," another Freud portrait of her, was purchased by Roman Abramovich-she remains philosophical. The 2008 sale of that earlier work set a record for a living artist at $33.6 million and even earned her a mention in the Guinness Book of Records, albeit under the title of the painting rather than her name.
Lucian Freud, who died in 2011 at age 88, is widely regarded as the greatest British portraitist of the 20th century. His works, especially the late nudes, are celebrated for their psychological depth and visceral realism. The upcoming sale of "Sleeping by the Lion Carpet" underscores the continued soaring market for his art, while Tilley's reflections offer a personal glimpse into the human stories behind these commanding canvases
Lucian Freud Sue Tilley Sleeping By The Lion Carpet Sotheby's Auction Modern Art Portrait Painting Benefits Supervisor Sleeping Art Market British Painter Nude Portrait
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