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Freud sitter destroyed painting in fury over double chin
Louise Jury, Evening Standard26.08.08
Artist Lucian Freud was said to be furious today after learning one of his paintings had been deliberately destroyed by its sitter.
He learned that millionaire antiques book dealer Bernard Breslauer wrecked the work because he disliked how his double chin had been painted.
Freud, 85, whose canvases have sold for more than £17million, was told the news by art academic Professor Catherine Lampert, who was helping put together a retrospective of his work.
Mr Breslauer-died in 2004 at the age of 86. Professor Lampert said: "He was very disappointed and frustrated as any artist would be. Like any artist, he wants his pictures to be kept and not destroyed."
Meanwhile, more than 200 works of art by Damien Hirst worth £100million remain unsold by the White Cube gallery, it has emerged. The pieces include many dating from 2005 or earlier and some of the artist's famous butterfly paintings and medicine cabinets valued at more than £1million each.
The backlog, which also includes a £4.5million cow in formaldehyde, shows the problem of selling mass-produced art, according to the Art Newspaper.
Another 200 works are due to be auctioned at Sotheby's by Hirst himself.
He is expected to make at least £65million and avoid the 40 per cent gallery commission.
