Provenance
The artist; sold through James Kirkman Limited, London, to the Art Institute of Chicago, Nov. 19, 1987.
Accession Number
70185
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
50.8 × 78.7 cm (20 × 31 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Purchased with funds provided by Mrs. Frederic G. Pick; through prior gift of Mr. and Mrs. Carter H. Harrison
Background & Context
Background Story
Lucian Freud's Two Japanese Wrestlers by a Sink (1983/87) is an oil on canvas by one of the most important figurative painters of the late 20th century. Freud was known for his unflinching realist portraits. This painting shows sumo wrestlers by a sink, allowing Freud to explore the massive forms of their bodies with thick, lush paint application.
Cultural Impact
Freud was one of the most important figurative painters of the late 20th century.
Why It Matters
This painting captures the massive physical presence of sumo wrestlers with Freud's characteristic directness and painterly intensity.
