Lucian Freud's final painting of benefits supervisor Sue Tilley, titled Sleeping by the Lion Carpet, is estimated to fetch up to £35 million at a Sotheby's auction in June. The artwork, created between 1995 and 1996, is hailed by art critics as a defining masterpiece and will be offered for sale for the first time.
Muse's Reaction to Valuation
Sue Tilley, the subject of the painting, expressed amusement at its high valuation. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: “I think, ‘How can that be possible when I’ve never got any money myself?’”
Part of a Series
This painting is part of a series of large canvases Freud created of Tilley. Another portrait, Benefits Supervisor Resting, sold for a record £35.9 million in 2015. Tilley, who was in her late thirties when the work was painted, noted that the paintings show “all those skinny girls that big girls can do well as well”.
The upcoming auction has generated significant interest in the art world, with experts predicting a potential new record for Freud's work.
