A nude portrait painted by celebrated British artist Lucian Freud has sold for an astonishing $39 million at a Sotheby’s auction in London, with the woman featured in the artwork saying she is thrilled to witness its success while still alive.
The painting, titled “Sleeping by the Lion Carpet,” was created between 1995 and 1996 by Lucian Freud, the grandson of renowned neurologist and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.
The artwork features Sue Tilley, now 69, asleep in a chair without clothing. At the time the portrait was painted, Tilley was 35 years old.
Reacting after the sale, Tilley expressed excitement over the painting’s continued recognition decades after it was created.
“Mona Lisa wasn’t alive when she became famous, but I am,” she told the Wall Street Journal.
The portrait is one of four paintings Lucian Freud created of Tilley during the mid-1990s.
Before becoming one of the artist’s most recognised subjects, Tilley worked as a supervisor at an employment office while also working part-time at a London nightclub.
She recalled that Freud, who was about 70 years old at the time, invited her to sit for a series of portraits alongside other friends and acquaintances.
Asked why she agreed to pose nude, Tilley gave a lighthearted response.
“He was funny and bought us nice food,” she said.
According to Tilley, Freud initially paid her £20 per day to model for him, an amount equivalent to about $85 today.
As the sessions continued and the paintings took months to complete, he later increased her daily payment to £35.
Art experts regard Sleeping by the Lion Carpet as the finest of the four portraits Freud painted of Tilley.
The collection of paintings has reportedly generated more than $129 million through various sales over the years.
Although Tilley will not receive any money from the latest auction, she joked about her own value following the record-breaking sale.
“I figure I’m probably worth about £100 million,” she said with a laugh.
Lucian Freud, regarded as one of Britain’s greatest figurative painters, died in 2011, but his works continue to command some of the highest prices in the international art market.
