The great artist Lucian Freud refused to be interviewed, hated being photographed and quashed all attempts at biographies (with assistance, on one occasion, from East End gangsters).
It's remarkable, then, that Geordie Greig has managed to come up with such an intimate work. He breakfasted with Freud for ten years, making no secret of the fact that he intended one day to write a book, and gained not only the artist's trust but that of his family and inner circle. Breakfast With Lucian is like a light shone on a secret world, a vivid picture of a man who was "frank and fearless", violent "when provoked", at home with the aristocracy but fascinated by the seamier side of London. His stubborn refusal to be swayed by abstract expressionism in pursuit his own vision is reflected in his unconventional private life. This makes a good companion piece to Martin Gayford's 2012 account of sitting for Freud, Man With A Blue Scarf.
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