William Feaver discusses the first volume of his landmark new work of biography of one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. Though ferociously private, Lucian Freud spoke most weeks for many years to Feaver – his close confidante and collaborator – about painting and the art world, but also about his life and loves. The result is a definitive, electrifying biography, shot through with Freud’s own words. In the first of two volumes, Feaver traces Freud’s journey as a young man’s coming of age: his childhood in Weimar Berlin through art school and the Merchant Navy, his post-war adventures in Paris and Greece, and his return to Soho, where he consorted with aristocracy, violent criminals and muses from Greta Garbo to Margot Fonteyn. See more details here.

William Feaver was art critic for the Observer for 23 years, as well as working extensively as a painter, curator. He is on the Academic Board of the Royal Drawing School where he also currently tutors. He curated Lucian Freud’s 2002 retrospective at Tate Britain in 2002, and the 2012 exhibition of Freud’s drawings in London and New York.

Curated exhibitions include from George Cruikshank to the Tate retrospectives of Michael Andrews and Lucian Freud (subject of his most recent book), Constable (Grand Palais Paris 2003). His book ‘Pitmen Painters’ was recently adapted by Lee Hall for an award-laden play and he is at present organising a related exhibition in Vienna ‘When We Were Young’, a study of children’s book illustration, did particularly well in Japan. His book, ‘Frank Auerbach’, was published in 2009.