Horses & Freud commemorates the centenary of the birth of Lucian Freud with a loan exhibition dedicated to the artist’s lifelong love of horses. Bringing together a carefully selected group of paintings, portraits and sketchbooks loaned from both museums and private collections, the exhibition explores the influence of horses on his life and art, and the diverse friendships and acquaintances that were made as a result.
Lucian Freud’s (1922–2011) fascination with horses began in his early childhood; as a young boy he would go riding in the countryside outside Berlin and he was sometimes found sleeping in the stables, reputedly enjoying the company of the animals more than attending lessons. Through his love for the animals, and his subsequent love of gambling, he went on to meet a wide and varied group of people, some of whom became both sitters and clients who now number among his most important collectors. This includes Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles OBE whom Freud first met in 1983 when he arranged for him to access the stables of the Household Cavalry; an exclusive interview with Parker Bowles is included in the illustrated catalogue for the exhibition.
