Lucian Freud

1 portrait of Lucian Freud

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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Lucian Freud

by Harry Diamond
gelatin silver print, 9 November 1969
11 1/2 in. x 7 1/2 in. (293 mm x 191 mm) image size
Bequeathed by Harry Diamond, 2012
Photographs Collection
NPG x135769

Sitterback to top

  • Lucian Freud (1922-2011), Artist. Sitter in 65 portraits, Artist or producer of 6 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • Harry Diamond (1924-2009), Photographer. Artist or producer of 219 portraits, Sitter in 7 portraits.

Linked publicationsback to top

  • 100 Photographs, 2018, p. 98 Read entry

    Soho habitué and photographer Harry Diamond (1924-2009) photographed his friend, the painter Lucian Freud (1922-2011), on numerous occasions. Freud also painted Diamond several times; Diamond disliked the first of these, Interior in Paddington (1951), for making his legs appear too short. Diamond’s direct and spontaneous approach to photography was applied universally to his subjects, which ranged from artist and musician friends in Soho, London, to East End locals. Diamond also photographed the streets of London, building a remarkable body of documentary work. His archive, comprising approximately 20,000 negatives as well as vintage prints made between 1970 and 2000, was bequeathed to the National Portrait Gallery in 2012. It joins the Lucian Freud Archive, also held at the Gallery.

  • Gayford, Martin (introduction) Hockney, David (appreciation), Lucian Freud: Painting People, 2012 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 9 February to 28 May 2012), p. 18
  • Howgate, Sarah (introduction) Auping, Michael (appreciation) Richardson, John (appreciation), Lucian Freud: Portraits, 2012 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 9 February to 28 May 2012), p. 221

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Events of 1969back to top

Current affairs

The Open University is established, based on the vision of Michael Young. Its aims were to offer the chance to study for higher education qualifications on a part time and distance learning basis, giving people who were unable to attend a traditional university because of family, work commitments or disability the opportunity to achieve university degrees.

Art and science

The comedy sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus is first broadcast. The Pythons performed surreal sketches that reinvented the comedy tradition, eschewing punch lines for a stream-of-consciousness structure and incongruous authorial interventions: 'and now for something completely different'.
Kenneth Tynan's Oh! Calcutta amuses and shocks audiences with full nudity on stage, taking advantage of the recent end to censorship laws.

International

Neil Armstrong takes 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' when he becomes the first man on the moon.
Concorde makes its first supersonic flight. The plane was designed, developed and manufactured by a joint treaty between the French and English governments.

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