Never seen before "love" letters by then teenaged Lucian Freud are to be auctioned by Sotheby's.
The letters, which were directed towards poet Stephen Spender as "Spethan", "Schuster" or "Step-hanio", include illustrations with drawings and cartoons of surreal humour like, "Do you realise that if you shaved your nose every day you would soo grow a reasonable beard on it?," reported the BBC.
The Spender family had kept them for over 70 years, and they have a combined estimate price of 28,000-42,000 pounds.
Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's Europe, Oliver Barker, said the letters provide a glimpse into the workings of a truly artistic mind of Freud, who is believed to be one of the finest British painters of the 20th century.
Sotheby's Contemporary Art Day will hold the auction of the letters on July 2.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
