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The artist - warts and all

Andrew Marr on what art reveals with William Feaver, Humphrey Ocean and Kate Grandjouan

“The painter must give a completely free rein to any feeling or sensations he may have.” So said the celebrated artist Lucian Freud. His biographer William Feaver tells Andrew Marr how Freud’s work revealed not only something about the subject of the painting, but also what the artist was feeling. The two are combined in a new exhibition of Freud’s self-portraits in which the painter turns his unflinching eye on himself.

In 2006 the artist Humphrey Ocean started making a series of portraits of visitors to his studio. Using simple forms and bold colours the painter illuminated something unique about each person. Ocean is the RA Schools’ Professor of Perspective and his work details his observations of everyday life.

The underbelly of everyday life in the 18th century is very much in evidence in William Hogarth’s work. As an exhibition at Sir John Soane’s Museum brings together all Hogarth’s painted series for the first time, the art critic Kate Grandjouan explains what he reveals about people from all strata of society, in a London devoid of morality.

Producer: Katy Hickman

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42 minutes

Last on

Mon 28 Oct 2019 21:30
±«Óătv Radio 4

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Kate Grandjouan

Kate Grandjouan lectures widely on eighteenth-century British art, mainly at the Courtauld Institute of ArtĚýand at New College of the Humanities.Ěý She has published many articles and reviews on Hogarth, including in French.

Hogarth: Place and Progress is on at Sir John Soane’s Museum until 5th January.

Kate is taking part in a day of talks on Hogarth’s Moral Geography on 5th November at the Paul Mellon Centre.

William Feaver

William Feaver is a painter, curator and author, and was the art critic for the Observer for 23 years.Ěý The first volume of William’s biography of Lucian FreudĚýhas just been shortlisted for The Baillie Gifford Prize For Non-Fiction.

The Lives of Lucian Freud: Youth 1922–1968 is published by Bloomsbury.

Lucian Freud: The Self-Portraits is at the Royal Academy until 26th January.

Ěý

Humphrey Ocean

Humphrey Ocean is a celebrated artist and the Royal Academy’s Professor of Perspective.

A monograph of works by Humphrey Ocean, published by the Royal Academy of Arts,Ěýwill be outĚýin November.

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  • Mon 28 Oct 2019 09:00
    ±«Óătv Radio 4
  • Mon 28 Oct 2019 21:30
    ±«Óătv Radio 4

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