Bella Freud ('Bella in her Pluto T-Shirt')
- Artist: Lucian Freud
- Date: 1995
- Medium: etching
- Dimensions: 32 1/4 in. x 28 3/8 in. (819 mm x 721 mm) overall
- Portrays: Isobel ('Bella') Lucia Freud
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is a striking 1995 etching by Lucian Freud titled “Bella in her Pluto T‑shirt.” The paper captures the sitter, Isobel (Béla) Lucia Freud, at about thirty‑one inches wide and twenty‑eight inches tall—an impressive canvas for a line drawing. Notice how the etcher renders the t‑shirt’s simple graphic, while the subtle cross‑hatching gives her face depth and expression. Béla is positioned slightly turned toward us, her hair flowing down her shoulders. The piece sits in the National Portrait Gallery as part of its primary collection.
See it in person
Bella Freud ('Bella in her Pluto T-Shirt') is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
