Naked Portrait

A Guardian Top 50 Summer Read

'I ended up reading it in one sitting, well into the early hours of the following day' - The Observer

‘Packed to the rafters with wisdom and insight, this immersive account of being the child of a genius is, itself, a work of art.’ Frances Wilson, The Telegraph ‘Books of the Year’


In Naked Portrait Rose Boyt explores her complicated relationship with her beloved father, Lucian Freud, through her diary and other accounts of sitting for him, naked or otherwise. Enthralled by his genius, it was only after his death that she began to question the version of events she had come to accept. The shock of the truth is profound but what emerges is her love and compassion not just for herself as a vulnerable young woman, but for the man himself, who is shown in all his brilliant complexity.

'I can’t think of an art book with an opening page like it. Lines land like detonation . . . The writing is hypnotic and propulsive . . . It’s so powerful’ - The Sunday Times