SIX rare sketches by acclaimed British artist Lucian Freud are expected to be sold for up to £100,000 at an auction in Edinburgh later this month.

The artworks, which were created between 1982 and 2000, include three portrait sketches and a still-life study, The Egyptian Book, which are expected to sell between £7000 and £18,000 each.

A further portrait of two scullery maids, called After Chardin, is also being sold and has been priced between £22,000 and £28,000.

Considered to be one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, Freud’s paintings have been displayed at some of the world’s most prestigious galleries, including the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art.

The grandson of Sigmund Freud and brother of writer and politician Clement Freud, his works are often associated with surrealism and depict people and plants in unusual scenarios.

He was shortlisted for the prestigious Turner Prize in 1989 and some of his works have sold for millions of pounds worldwide - such as the painting After Cezanne, which was bought by the National Gallery of Australia for almost £3 million in 2001.

Also in 2001, Freud hit the headlines after his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II drew criticism from critics and the public for painting the monarch in an “unflattering” light.

The sketches will be auctioned on January 26 at Lyon & Turnbull’s auction rooms on Broughton Place.

Posted: 01|17|07 at 1:45 pm. Filed under: UK News.