Lucian Freud ‘one of the great painters of the 20th century’ dies

LUCIAN FREUD, a towering and uncompromising figure in the art world for more than 50 years, has died, his New York-based art dealer said yesterday. He was 88.

Spokeswoman Bettina Prentice said that Freud died after an illness at his London home late Wednesday night, but didn’t give any further details.

Freud was known for his intense realist portraits, particularly of nudes. His paintings commanded staggering prices at auction, including one of an overweight nude woman sleeping on a couch that sold in 2008 for $33.6 million (€23m).