Author(s): Gereon Sievernich

Art

The art of Lucian Freud (1922-2011) is not easy on viewers, confronted as they are with harshly depicted figures in a vulnerable state of nudity.Grandchild to Sigmund Freud, the painter often subjected his models to lengthy sessions of posing, creating glimpses into the psyches of those he portrayed.The UBS Art Collection contains the majority of etchings from Freud's last phase, as well as one watercolor and two paintings--a total of 54 works of the highest quality. At once delicate and bold in conception, Freud's etchings challenge viewers with their candor. The fact that the exhibition is held in Berlin's Martin-Gropius-Bau is of particular significance, as the city was Freud's birthplace, from which he was forced to flee with his parents in 1933. With the help of the UBS Art Collection, the artist now returns home.