David Sylvester's 1950 critique of Lucian Freud's hypnotic portraiture

In a 1950 article for Art News and Review, critic David Sylvester examined the early portrait work of Lucian Freud, identifying him as a successor to Dylan Thomas. Sylvester characterized Freud's art as astonishingly naturalistic, capturing the subjects' inner anxieties through a mesmerizing technique. His paintings created a sense of stillness, where even minor movements could lead to disaster, instilling a feeling of unease. Unlike romantic realists, Sylvester associated Freud with sixteenth-century German portrait artists. By 1950, Freud began to soften his approach, delving into more ordinary aspects of personality, albeit at the cost of intensity. Notable works included Portrait of a Woman, Girl in Bed, and Portrait of a Girl with Fair Hair and Bare Shoulders. Sylvester asserted that Freud had produced the finest portraits in the country over the last decade.