At the time of the publication of Lucian Freud, the definitive monograph, by Jonathan Cape in 1996, Freud was already regarded as one of the great portrait painters of all time. His naked portraits had no parallel. His work exists outside the currents of contemporary art in a domain of his own. In the years since that publication his output has only increased. His worldwide reputation continues to be celebrated. In London he has been shown in a major retrospective at the Tate and more recently a number of his new paintings have been shown at the Wallace Collection.

This second volume contains the recent paintings, both large and small, together with a number of extraordinary new works on paper. His work shows no sign of diminishing energy. We are witnessing the work of one of the great artists of our time, now in his eighties, as he reaches still further with his scrutiny of human form and flesh.

Sebastian Smee, a young Australian writer, has been recognised as one of the most illuminating writers on art and has been close to Freud for several years. His introduction will provide a new analysis of Freud's work and a different voice among those who have made great claims for the significance of Freud's achievement.