WHEN LUCIAN FREUD PAINTED THE QUEEN

This is the story of when Lucian Freud painted the Queen in 2001 in London, an undertaking invested with a unique protocol and precedence. He did not want it to be a traditional state portrait, or the Raphaelish nonsense like the new Elizabethan Pietro Anagoni portrait painted in the early 50s, which Freud detested. When Lucian was granted royal approval, he was so pleased he produced, by way of a joke, a tiny image of a crowned head sporting a radiant smile that he showed to his studio assistant, David Dawson. Sittings were to begin in early 2001, and Lucian requested that the Queen come to sit in his studio in Holland Park, however this was refused immediately. Given that he would be painting her entirely from life, without using any photographs or studies, a conservation studio in St James's Palace was made available for him. The other artists that painted the Queen only usually got two or three sittings, Lucian was advised. The actual painting is 9 and a quarter inches tall by 6 inches wide. The small size was chosen so that it could travel in a shoebox for taxi rides to the sittings with Lucian holding it. The decision that this was to be a portrait of a crowned head was deliberately underplayed, Lucian maintained. He saw the crown as a sort of hard hat worn for professional reasons rather than an upgraded tiara, such as he had painted in his portrait of Anne Fleming. The crown, designed by George IV, replete with diamonds, imposed stature and burdened its wearer with the authority of brooding over the obligations of state and to act the role of Queen. But what did Lucian make of the Queen's face? Images of which had been circulated worldwide for half a century on countless stamps and coins and banknotes. Her image was now made flesh and sitting four feet or so away from him, practically within brush reach. A duty of the monarch is to be iconic and normally those commissioned to paint Elizabeth II kept well back, making the most of setting and costume. The Queen referred to him as Mr Freud and he came unusually close as that is what his paintings demanded. When the sessions turned conversational he would pause to speak and the Queen was reported as saying that she kept silent as much as she could because when he talks he stops painting. Given the postcard size of the work the Queen would have been justified in wondering about the demands made by Lucian and the long hours spent sitting for him. He tried explaining why he needed so much time saying, you probably think I'm going incredibly slowly but in fact I'm going at 100 miles an hour and if I go any faster I might crash. Towards the end of the process David Dawson was allowed to photograph the set up. The monarch gamely seated with her handbag parked beside her and Lucian inclining his head towards her, deferential but still with his piercing gaze. The Queen allowed the photograph saying I think it might be a little bit of history. The canvas grew slightly during the process. Hamish Dewar, the conservator that Lucian consistently favoured in his later years, had to enlarge it by two thirds of an inch to accommodate more for the crown. Light from above set the jewels gleaming. Earrings were also added later during the sittings to offset the curvature of the hair. With completion in sight towards the end of the year Lucian made final modifications and said I worked on the pearls and the earrings and shoulders so it reads from a distance much more now but she also looks slightly more nervous. I also worked on the neck and tried to get the chin not to stick out so much. John Reading was summoned after the final sitting to take the official photograph that would be made available to the press. Due to tax implications the painting was given to the Royal Collection and not directly given to the Queen. That said Lucian still thought of the painting as a personal gift. Duke Ellington once gave the Queen some music and he liked that idea and he wanted to do the same with this painting. It was the first portrait of the Queen that was given as a gift instead of a paid commission and so one Thursday morning in early December of 2001 he went to Buckingham Palace to present the portrait in her private apartments. There were Canalettos of London and Gainsborough portraits hanging on the walls and Lucian apparently saw in another room a painting of Napoleon looking miserable. There were a lot of dogs rolling around on the floor, the Queen's corgis but no one else was in attendance. Where shall we look at it? The Queen asked and Lucian took it out from under his arm and put it on a yellow chair. She didn't say what she thought of it but seemed pleased and smiled saying, very nice of you to do this, I very much enjoyed watching you mix your colours. Lucian then replied, if you were a professional model you would be in great demand. Lucian was pleased with the frame and thought that it didn't detract from the portrait. The painting went public four days before Christmas. The fact that he had been painting the Queen had been kept under wraps all year but what hadn't been anticipated was the huge media attention it received when it was finally revealed to the public. Every front page carried the picture. The sun said it's a travesty your majesty and another reporter said that he had made the Queen look like one of her corgis. There was both criticism and praise throughout the art world, something that Lucian said he could do nothing about. This pensive portrait of Queen Elizabeth reimagined the credibility of royal portraits. In this painting the Queen appears more vulnerable and aged with an emphasis on her natural features and the passage of time. Freud doesn't shy away from the texture of her skin and the subtle signs of ageing which makes the portrait feel more intimate and human. Some viewers appreciate this honesty and the rawness with which he depicts the Queen while others may find it uncomfortable or at odds with the usual formal representation of the monarchy. Overall the portrait seems to push the boundaries of royal portraiture reflecting Freud's characteristic style of exposing the human condition in all its complexity and challenging the traditional narrative of power and perfection that often surrounds the monarchy. The Queen was such an iconic symbol of Britain and what the nation thinks of itself. The painting was always going to be met with strong opinion. But what do you think about this portrait? 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