Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Prints & Drawings, Room 90, The Julie and Robert Breckman Gallery

Large Head

Print
1993 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is one of a group of 143 state, trial and cancellation proofs of etchings by Lucian Freud (1922-2011) which came from the collection of Marc Balakjian (1938-2017) of Studio Prints. Balakjian was Freud’s printer from 1985 and worked closely with him on the production of his etchings.

The V&A has three proofs of this print (and one cancellation proof); two of the first state, and one of the second. This a proof of the second (published) state, after the erasure of the lines in the area of the sitter's right shoulder which can be seen in a proof of the first state, E.423-2020. The first state was bitten and proofed on 10 February 1993 and the second state was proofed on 19 March.

The sitter is Leigh Bowery.

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Discover more about this object
read Lucian Freud and etching Lucian Freud (1922 – 2011) was one of the most renowned British artists of the 20th century. Though he is best known as a painter he was also a keen printmaker, producing versions of many of the subjects featured in his paintings – portrait heads, nudes, dogs and landscapes. These prints w...

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLarge Head (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Etching on paper
Brief description
Lucian Freud: Trial proof of Large Head, 1993. Etching. Printed by Marc Balakjian.
Physical description
Head and shoulders of a bald naked man facing left.
Dimensions
  • Plate height: 69.4cm
  • Plate width: 54.5cm
  • Sheet height: 80.4cm
  • Sheet width: 63.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
23C 2nd state. Trial proof. Warm black ink (in pencil; by Marc Balakjian)
Credit line
Accepted in lieu of inheritance tax by HM Government in 2019 from the collection of Marc Balakjian and allocated to the V&A
Subject depicted
Summary
This is one of a group of 143 state, trial and cancellation proofs of etchings by Lucian Freud (1922-2011) which came from the collection of Marc Balakjian (1938-2017) of Studio Prints. Balakjian was Freud’s printer from 1985 and worked closely with him on the production of his etchings.

The V&A has three proofs of this print (and one cancellation proof); two of the first state, and one of the second. This a proof of the second (published) state, after the erasure of the lines in the area of the sitter's right shoulder which can be seen in a proof of the first state, E.423-2020. The first state was bitten and proofed on 10 February 1993 and the second state was proofed on 19 March.

The sitter is Leigh Bowery.
Collection
Accession number
E.425-2020

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Record createdFebruary 17, 2020
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