Lecture: Man with a Blue Scarf

Paul McCartney (‘Mike’s Brother’) by Sam Walsh, 1964
© estate of Sam Walsh

Art critic Martin Gayford gives an insight into the 250 hours he spent sitting for Lucian Freud, and how it feels to be transformed into a work of art.

In his book Man in a Blue Scarf, he describes the process chronologically, from the day he arrived for the first sitting through to his meeting with the couple who bought the finished painting. As Freud creates a portrait of Gayford, so the art critic produces his own portrait of the notoriously private artist, recounting their wide-ranging conversations and giving a rare insight into Freud’s working practice.

Martin Gayford is chief art critic for Bloomberg News. His books include The Yellow House, a narrative of nine weeks of Van Gogh's life in Arles, and Constable in Love. He has recently published A Bigger Message which focuses on David Hockney as its subject.

Martin Gayford will be signing books after the lecture.

Please note: Online tickets have sold out for this event, but tickets can be bought over the phone.

See all Late Shift events