Tributes have been paid to artist Lucian Freud who has died at his home in London at the age of 88.
A grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, Lucian Freud was born in Berlin in 1922 and moved with his family to England in the early 1930s to escape Nazi persecution.
The Tate Gallery said his early paintings redefined British art and his later works stand comparison with the great figurative painters of any period.
William Acquavella, Freud's New York-based art dealer, said he would mourn Mr Freud ‘as one of the great painters of the 20th century’.
Mr Acquavella added: ‘He lived to paint and painted until the day he died, far removed from the noise of the art world.’
Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate Gallery, said: ‘The vitality of his nudes, the intensity of the still life paintings and the presence of his portraits of family and friends guarantee Lucian Freud a unique place in the pantheon of late 20th century art.
‘His early paintings redefined British art and his later works stand comparison with the great figurative painters of any period.’
His key pieces include Girl With A White Dog, Naked Girl Asleep And Reflection (self portrait), and he was particularly known for his paintings of nudes.
Mr Freud's works have recently fetched millions at auction, including one of an overweight nude woman sleeping on a couch that sold in 2008 for $33.6m.
