The 'Family' Portrait That Set Lucian Freud's Auction Record
3 min read · 31 Jan 2025
Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau). Image courtesy of Christie's
Lucian Freud's Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau) (1981-83) sold for $86.27m at Christie's in New York on November 9, 2022. The oil on canvas work had been traded twice in the past. Previously, at Sotheby's New York in May 1998, it was bought by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for $5.83m, then an auction record for the artist.
Freud's celebrated group portrait is a complicated "family drama" set in a drab house in West London. It features his then lover, the artist Celia Paul, an ex-partner, the writer Suzy Boyt, her son Kai, and Bella, Freud's daughter by another partner. The child lying on the bare floor is a girl called Star, who took the place Freud initially intended for one of his granddaughters.
Based on a painting by Watteau, Freud painted each of his sitters' portraits separately. His models only sat together once, for the artist to first sketch the composition.
Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau) has featured in almost every major exhibition of the Freud's work since it was first unveiled in 1983.
Benefits Supervisor Resting. Image courtesy of Christie's
The sale beat Freud's previous auction record by $30.1m, a 53% rise. His previous record was set by Benefits Supervisor Resting (1994), which sold for $56.16m at Christie's on May 13, 2015. The work had been traded once in the past.
A Brief History of Lucian Freud at Auction
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-11-09 | Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau) | $86.27m | 54 % | Christie's | New York |
2015-05-13 | Benefits Supervisor Resting | $56.16m | 67 % | Christie's | New York |
2008-05-13 | Benefits Supervisor Sleeping | $33.64m | 74 % | Christie's | New York |
2007-11-13 | Ib And Her Husband | $19.36m | 39 % | Christie's | New York |
2007-06-20 | Bruce Bernard | $13.96m | 103 % | Christie's | London |
2005-02-09 | Red haired man on chair | $6.87m | 18 % | Christie's | London |
1998-05-14 | Large interior W11 | $5.83m | 333 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1997-06-25 | John Deakin | $1.35m | 29 % | Christie's | London |
1990-06-28 | Man smoking | $1.04m | 96 % | Sotheby's | London |
1990-04-05 | Seated Figure | $533,500 | 23 % | Sotheby's | London |
1989-06-29 | Girl in white dress | $434,500 | 2 % | Sotheby's | London |
1988-06-30 | Head of a Man | $427,200 | 356 % | Sotheby's | London |
1987-07-02 | Adventure playground | $93,700 | 48 % | Sotheby's | London |
1983-05-25 | Nude with dark hair Pregnant girl | $63,400 | 63 % | Sotheby's | London |
1974-05-10 | Portrait of Billy | $38,900 | 9 % | Christie's | London |
1973-07-18 | Girl in a dark jacket | $35,600 | - | Sotheby's | London |
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