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Breakfast with Lucian
- Narrated by: John Standing
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
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Breakfast with Lucian
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Summary
For 10 years Geordie Greig was among a very small group of friends who regularly met Lucian Freud for breakfast at Clarke's restaurant on Kensington Church Street. Over tea and the morning papers, Freud would recount stories of his past and discuss art. It was, in effect, Freud's private salon.
In this kaleidoscopic memoir, Greig remembers Freud's stories: of death threats; escaping from Nazi Germany; falling out with his brother Clement; loathing his mother; painting David Hockney; sleeping with horses; escaping the Krays; painting the Queen; his controversial role as a father; and why Velázquez was the greatest painter. It is revelatory about his art, his lovers, his children, his enemies, and his love of gambling.
Freud dared never to do dull, speaking candidly of dancing with Garbo as well as painting Kate Moss naked. Those closest to him, after decades of silence and secrecy, have spoken frankly about what life was like living, loving or sitting for the greatest figurative portraitist of the twentieth century. Partly based on hours of taped conversations with the artist and his circle, and drawing on interviews with those who knew Freud intimately - including many girlfriends, models, dealers and bookmakers - Breakfast with Lucian is an intimate portrait of the artist as a young and old man. It is a uniquely fascinating, personal and authoritative account of one of the greatest British painters of this century and the last, and a profile of a man who makes everyone else's life seem less lived.
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What listeners say about Breakfast with Lucian
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sidney Chambers
- 24-04-23
Stunning
As an artist myself, I am stunned by the life of man I grew up admiring but never really knew. Only an artist in the vein of Michelangelo or Picasso could command such social status where no rules applied.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 23-04-19
artist to artist
If your looking for a insight to artists life this a great book that really captures the spirit. Highs, lows, thrills and spills. Great listen definitely recommend.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Anthony
- 25-04-14
Indulgent but fascinating
Lots of fascinating details about one of the world's most accomplished portrait painters. We learn of Lucien Freud's relationship with his grandfather Sigmund and with his wide range of sexual partners, marriage partners, children, friends, other painters and gallery owners, and a whole lot more. While Geordie Greig tells an interesting story he also indulges us with more than we care to know about his own relationships, name-dropping and perspectives, and there is a risk of hagiography despite Lucien Freud's arrogance, hedonism, bullying, and ambiguous and contemporaneous love of women and misogyny.
Insights regarding the development of his painting style, what was entailed in sitting for him, and the range of models and family members painted are fascinating.
An important and valuable set of insights into one of the 20th Century's greatest artists. Would be great to have the artwork in front of one as one heard the background, context, description and critique. Something for Audible to work on?
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3 people found this helpful
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- clivebright
- 04-02-19
A fascinating and gripping
Insight in the life and working of probably to the best painter of our times - a pleasure to listen!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Georgia Longford
- 31-03-20
A beautiful and honest story of Lucian Freud
So enjoyed getting lost in his world. Feel like i finally understand the paintings. This strange man behind a brush.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-10-20
Tedious name dropping
Obviously having eventually agreed to talk to the author, this very private artist cleverly decided not to tell him anything remotely interesting. So much so that I only listened to about half of it before I gave up. The snippets that give some insight into Freud's work are so few and so overshadowed by long recitations of who was related to and in bed with whom that they just aren't worth waiting for. I'd probably have given up sooner but it was a long drive. The narrator does his best with the material.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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- t
- 11-01-21
More sycophancy then insight
As a masterpiece of the establishment congratulating one of its own, with no discernment and often irritating self-congratulation, this is exemplary.
At times ghastly, at times utterly dull lists of the usual over-privileged and selfish wealthy circles of mid-century Britain, the actual insights into Freud’s work, working practice, or indeed motivations, are hard to find. But they are there, and worth holding on for. Not least, we are shown a selfish, irresponsible and sadistic individual, with little regard for consent, and less for personal boundaries. That speaks of the motivation behind his focus on painting the figure from life. His relationships, often described by those closest to him in gushing terms, are clearly on the scale of unhealthy to plain abusive. I was more than once reminded of hearing a battered wife say ‘oh but I love him’. And yet these reminiscences are recounted unquestioningly, as through the victims of his spite are able to excuse him his sometimes law breaking flaws. Where that impacts on the average person, whether punching a waiter, or a road accident, the writer recounts how Freud was rescued from consequences by his wealthy cronies as though we might share his delight. It is at times nauseating. The book was perhaps written to only be read by those who are either in those circles, or aspire to be.
One has to ask, without wealthy connections, high society and the attendant sexual freedom and fancy lifestyle, would he really have been painting beyond the 1950’s, and would anyone care.
This book has a limited contribution to make to the history of art, but it certainly puts this artists in a context which colours ones view of his achievements.
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4 people found this helpful