1999
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Head of an Irishman is a 1999 by Lucian Freud, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This is a 1999 etching by Lucian Freud called *Head of an Irishman*. It shows a man named Paul McLean, who Freud painted twice before. The print is one of 143 proofs made with Freud’s printer, Marc Balakjian, who worked closely on the etching process. Balakjian inked the plate in two ways: stiff ink for dark lines and fluid ink for softer background shading. The artist re-bit the plate twice in July and August 1999 to deepen the etched lines. If you like this, look up Freud’s painted portraits of McLean next.
This etching by Lucian Freud from 1999 is one of 143 proofs produced in collaboration with printer Marc Balakjian, who worked closely with Freud on his etchings beginning in 1985. The portrait depicts Paul McLean, who had previously sat for two painted portraits by Freud. The plate underwent two biting sessions—first on July 30 and again on August 6—resulting in intricate, densely etched lines. Balakjian inked the plate using a stiff ink to emphasize the lines and a fluid ink for the background, ensuring the wiped plate did not disrupt the etched details.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Lucian Michael Freud (; 8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011) was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, who is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists.
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