Lucian Freud (1922–2011) is widely regarded as one of the greatest figurative painters of the 20th century. Renowned for his unflinching studies of the human form, Freud brought a psychological intensity to portraiture and still life that redefined postwar realism. A grandson of Sigmund Freud, his penetrating gaze and visceral brushwork laid bare the vulnerability of flesh, identity, and mortality. Museums have positioned Freud as a bridge between British postwar realism and a deeper European tradition of anatomical scrutiny and existential depth, linking him to artists like Egon Schiele and Francis Bacon.

Freud's works are held in the most prestigious collections worldwide, including Tate, MoMA, the Met, and Centre Pompidou.