And the Bridegroom, 2001 by Lucian Freud (1922-2011, Germany) Lucian Freud | WahooArt.com

Lucian Freud (i) - Oil On Canvas (i) - 2001 - Expressionism (i) Lucian Freud depicts a man and his wife sleeping in his painting And the Bridegroom. It is a relaxed depiction of a performer. Leigh Bowery and his wife, Nicola Bateman. Although Freud refused to work with professional models, Bowery was an exception as his talent as an actor allowed him to invent and sustain many poses, almost bringing out a character for Freud to document. He was known for his piercings and costumes but chose to pose nude for Freud and despite his size, he was quite delicate. Freud was intrigued by Nicola's size juxtaposing it next to Leigh, who dominates the bed with his body sprawled while she appears fragile and curled up. He loved to paint unique bodies, fat people of people with wrinkles and texture. He used the impasto technique of laying thick paint on canvas, to create texture in his work, especially while representing flesh. The name of the painting is inspired by the poem Epithalamium by AE Housman.