A portrait of Sue Tilley, the former benefits supervisor who became one of Lucian Freud’s most famous muses, is expected to sell for up to £35m at auction, sparking fresh conversation about the artist’s legacy and the representation of larger bodies in fine art.
Tilley, then a jobcentre employee in London, sat for Freud between 1993 and 1996, resulting in a series of monumental nudes. The most celebrated, Benefits Supervisor Resting (1994), shows her reclining on a sofa, her body rendered with Freud’s trademark unflinching realism. The painting is now tipped to break records when it goes under the hammer, with estimates of £30m to £35m.
Speaking to the press, Tilley, now in her 60s, said she was ‘gobsmacked’ by the valuation. ‘It’s mad, really. I was just a normal woman doing a normal job. But it shows that big girls can do well, and that there is beauty in all shapes and sizes,’ she remarked. Her comments have resonated widely, particularly amid ongoing debates about body positivity and representation in the arts.
Freud, who died in 2011, is widely regarded as one of the greatest figurative painters of the 20th century. His work rarely appears at auction, and the sale of a major portrait of Tilley is seen as a bellwether for the high-end art market. The painting was previously owned by a private collector and has not been publicly exhibited in more than a decade. The auction house has not confirmed the sale date, but industry insiders expect it to take place in London later this year.
The forthcoming sale also shines a light on the cultural shift around Freud’s oeuvre. Once criticised for his unsparing depictions of the human form, his work is now celebrated for its honesty and psychological depth. For British audiences, the story of a benefits supervisor turned art world icon offers a rare, human counterpoint to the often rarefied world of high-value art transactions.
Source: The Guardian