Lucian Freud once described visiting the National Gallery when struggling for artistic inspiration as “like going to the doctor’s”.
In this clip artist Liz Rideal and author James Hall explore the rich history of self-portraiture, looking at Rembrandt and Chaucer. Curators Jasper Sharp and David Dawson explain how Lucian Freud deliberately established himself within this tradition.
To discover more about Lucian Freud, see the feature film Lucian Freud: A Self Portrait, based on the landmark exhibition from the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In cinemas worldwide from 14 January 2020.