A reader was tickled by this story in the Daily Mail about an egg that Lucian Freud painted and gave as a gift to the organizer of an easter egg-themed show. She put the the work away for 30 years, then Bloombury’s Alexander Hayter got an unusual consignment. Hayter suspects the egg might make £100k despite the lack of comparable works by the artist:
‘Despite it being a highly unusual medium, this egg is instantly recognisable as work by Freud. The way the flesh has been rendered in a very interesting way and the mix of sepia ink wash and oil.
‘He had to hold it while he painted it because he left his fingerprints on the back. About 50 per cent of the egg was painted.
‘When the vendor called to say she had a self-portrait of Lucian Freud on an egg you think that does sound a bit strange, but when she explained it, it was really quite fascinating.
‘Since she was given it she has kept it in a cardboard egg box in tissue paper in her desk drawer. It has hardly seen the light of day.’
Would You Shell Out £100k for This? (Daily Mail)
