Head and shoulders of a girl

Freud’s sitter, ‘H.V.’, is Harriet Vyner (b. 1959), a one-time paramour of the artist. Vyner first met Freud in 1977 when she was 17, and had recently arrived in London from North Yorkshire following the dissolution of her family’s estate. The present picture shows Vyner, nude to her waist, her eyes downcast. It is Freud’s use of shadow from a light source directly above the sitter which situates her in a space otherwise unarticulated. She rests on the floor, propped up by an arm hidden behind her. Despite the exposing nature of her position, Vyner does not appear aware of vulnerability. Rather, she is caught in a moment of rest.

Vyner appeared in at least two other portraits by Freud, oil paintings titled Sleeping Head (1979-80) and Seated Figure (1980-82). Both the paintings and the present drawing were undertaken after the pair had ceased to be lovers, though continued to live in proximity and see one another.