Rethinking the Image

Image source: https://d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.net/w944h944/collection/MER/VGM/MER_VGM_599-001.jpg from https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/paddington-interior-harry-diamond-19242009-66964 (Accessed: 21 September 2025). © Lucian Freud Archive/Bridgeman Images

Lucian Freud, Paddington Interior, Harry Diamond (1970), Liverpool, Victoria Gallery & Museum, 71 cm x 71 cm, oil on canvas.

See also: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/interior-paddington (Accessed: 21 September 2025).

Lucian Freud, Interior at Paddington (1951), Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery, 152.4 cm x 114.3 cm, oil on canvas.

Lucian Freud is one of the most well-known figures in 20th-century British art. From the 1940s until his death in 2011, he retained an unwavering interest in the human form^[1][2], establishing himself as one of the leading exponents of modern figurative painting.

Two particularly notable works by Freud – Interior at Paddington (1951) and Paddington Interior, Harry Diamond (1970) – can be found on permanent display in Liverpool, at the Walker Art Gallery and the Victoria Gallery & Museum respectively. Painted two decades apart, but depicting the same sitter in similar locations, this pairing of works draws attention to Freud’s stylistic evolution.

As the title of the later portrait suggests, the sitter in question is London-based photographer and friend of Freud, Harry Diamond^[3]. In Interior at Paddington, Diamond stands rigidly with his legs apart, his fist clenched, and his gaze mysteriously fixed on the large plant which dominates the foreground. A figure is visible through the window, possibly watching Freud at work; the tension is palpable.

Diamond’s expression is further intensified by his enlarged, exaggerated features. In this regard, the painting is typical of Freud’s earlier work, in which his subjects’ proportions are often distorted to achieve an arresting, hyper-realistic effect^[4]. Diamond was required to pose for the painting for six months^[3] – such commitment was often required of Freud’s sitters^[5].

Much of the painting’s lasting appeal lies in its details, such as the intricate creases of Diamond’s shoes, the complex shadows that appear among the folds of his mackintosh, and the way in which the large creases in the red carpet reveal its sinuous fibres. Freud executes these details with the precision of an Old Master, leaving no trace of technique.

Less than a mile away, at the Victoria Gallery & Museum, Paddington Interior, Harry Diamond (1970) is markedly different in its execution. As is typical of Freud’s mature work^[4], the thicker brushwork leaves more evidence of his process; individual brushstrokes are clearly visible, allowing the viewer to visualise its laboured creation.

Here, Diamond is seated in an armchair in Freud’s bathroom^[3] and viewed from the artist’s high-angle perspective. Although clearly identifiable by his distinctive facial geometry, Diamond’s pose no longer carries his reputation as a combative, pugnacious character^[3]; he is passive, compliant, and mellow.

This painting was purchased by the University of Liverpool^[7] shortly after its completion, due in part to the fact that its full-length companion was already a permanent fixture in the city^[3][6]. Just as the earlier portrait appears at home in the bright, spacious Walker Art Gallery, the later, smaller painting fits nicely here – the Victoria Gallery’s narrow, gently lit corridor, tiled in green and terracotta, seems almost like an extension of the earthy colour palette that lends the work a certain intimacy.

[1] Art UK (no date) Lucian Freud. Available at: https://artuk.org/discover/artists/freud-lucian-19222011/search/2025–artistel:lucian-freud-19222011/page/1/view_as/grid (Accessed: 21 September 2025).

[2] Brown, M. (2012) Lucian Freud’s Final Work to be Shown in 2012 National Portrait Gallery Show. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/sep/20/lucian-freud-national-portrait-gallery (Accessed: 21 September 2025).

[3] Draper, A. (2022) Freud and His Friend – The Harry Diamond Portraits. Available at: https://vgm.liverpool.ac.uk/blog/2022/freud-and-his-friend/ (Accessed: 21 September 2025).

[4] Art UK (no date) Lucian Freud. Available at: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/search/actor:freud-lucian-19222011/sort_by/date_earliest/order/asc/page/2/view_as/grid (Accessed: 21 September 2025).

[5] Tate (no date) Lucian Freud: Real Lives. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/lucian-freud-real-lives/exhibition-guide (Accessed: 21 September 2025).

[6] National Museums Liverpool (no date) Interior at Paddington. Available at: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/interior-paddington (Accessed: 21 September 2025).

[7] The Victoria Gallery & Museum is owned by the University of Liverpool and is part of its campus.