Freud's pounds 2.8m portrait breaks European record

A PORTRAIT by Britain's foremost figurative artist, Lucian Freud, has become the most expensive contemporary painting sold in Europe.

The painting, which shows a woman lying on the familiar brown sofa that features in so much of his work, sold at Sotheby's in London for pounds 2,806,500 - more than double its expected price of pounds 1.2m.

Freud's reputation as one of the biggest names of late 20th- century art was confirmed earlier this year when his Large Interior, W11, which featured members of his family, was sold at auction in New York for pounds 3.5m - the highest price he has achieved so far.

Cheyenne Westphal, director of contemporary art at Sotheby's, said Naked Portrait with Reflection was one of Freud's best paintings and an excellent example of the artist's work.

"The pose of the woman is very typical and the brown sofa is one of his favourite props and he uses it again and again in his paintings," she said.

"He likes to work at night and his work tends to be lit by artificial light, as this is. But as far as we know this is the only painting where he has included himself by putting his feet in."

The portrait - painted in 1980 - was sold to anonymous buyer and Ms Westphal said bidding was fierce.

"There were four collectors still in at the pounds 2m level and the price rose very quickly.

"We have seen an enormous increase in Freud's popularity this year with record prices set at the last three auctions of his work.

"He has global appeal and his work is collected around the world. To my mind, Freud is the best living figurative artist."

Freud, 75, is notoriously choosy about his subjects, preferring family, friends and some of the characters chanced upon in the London clubs he frequents to formal commissions.

He is said to have turned down the chance to paint the Queen, the Pope and Diana, Princess of Wales, although he did paint a heavily pregnant Jerry Hall.

Freud dismissively says of all his sitters that he is "really only interested in them as animals".

Married twice, he has had numerous lovers and an uncertain number of children, including the novelists Rose Boyt and Esther Freud and the fashion designer Bella Freud.

The previous European record for a contemporary work was pounds 2.5m in April 1990 for La Calipette, a painting by French artist Jean Dubuffet.

The most expensive contemporary painting to be sold was a work entitled Interchange by Willem de Kooning, which fetched pounds 12.9m at Sotheby's in New York in 1989.