This painting by Freud, oil on canvas, 68 x 55.75 ins now in a private collection would be deemed by the cognoscenti to be one of Freud’s most important works. It was executed in 84/5. What gives the painting added interest is the view from the artist’s window. Freud appears to draw comfort from working with people familiar to him choosing to return to paint the same sitters several times as in this case in point. He painted the older of the men in the above work a number of times. In one instance the work is known as ‘Head of the big man.’ The younger sitter in the ‘Two Irishmen W II’ forms part of the subject
matter of ‘Two brothers from Ulster’ 2001.’
