Martin Gayford

Lucian Freud was intense and unwavering in his approach to portraiture. Here Martin Gayford, 'Man with a Blue Scarf', describes the experience of sitting for many hours for Freud over a period of 18 months.
In that time Gayford had ample opportunity to watch the artist in action - while he himself was being scrutinised in the finest detail, 'something between transcendental meditation and a visit to the barber's'.
Gayford explains how the portrait slowly came together, his reactions to the finished work and what he learned about Lucian Freud the man over their 'long dinner party for two' during its painting .