Lucian Freud , Lord Goodman in his Yellow Pajamas (1987)

Lord Goodman in his Yellow Pajamas (1987)

Artist: Lucian Freud
Title: Lord Goodman in his Yellow Pajamas
Year: 1987
Medium: Etching with hand-colouring on BFK Rives wove paper
Plate Size: 311 × 403 mm (12 1/4 × 15 7/8 in)
Sheet Size: 482 × 561 mm (18 7/8 × 22 in)
Edition: 50 + 10 Artist's Proofs — this example: /50
Signature: Signed in pencil and numbered
Publisher: Co-published by James Kirkman and Brooke Alexander
Reference: Hartley 32; F. 68
Type: Limited edition etching with hand-colouring — unique by virtue of hand-applied colour

Description:

Lord Goodman in his Yellow Pajamas (1987) is one of the most important and most singular prints in Lucian Freud's graphic catalogue — a large-format etching with hand-colouring that brings together Freud's most celebrated subject (the human figure observed with unsparing psychological and physical precision) with his most intimate formal relationship to the print medium. Lord Arnold Goodman — the lawyer, arts administrator, and political fixer who served as chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain and was one of the most influential cultural figures in postwar Britain — is depicted in his yellow pajamas in a composition of remarkable informality and extraordinary psychological intensity. The pajamas, the domestic setting, the relaxed but watchful posture — all are entirely characteristic of Freud's approach to portraiture: the subject caught off-guard, in a private moment, the social persona dissolved to reveal the physical fact of a body and a consciousness.

The hand-colouring — applied individually to each impression of the edition — transforms what would otherwise be a monochrome etching into a work that carries the warmth and the specificity of a painted drawing. The yellow of the pajamas, the flesh tones of the skin, the colours of the surrounding space are not printed but painted, each impression receiving Freud's direct physical intervention and therefore each impression being subtly and irreducibly unique. This is not a coloured print in the conventional sense but a hybrid object: an etching that has been individually worked by the artist, occupying the category between multiple and unique work that Freud's hand-coloured prints uniquely inhabit.

The edition — just 50 impressions plus 10 artist's proofs — was co-published by James Kirkman, Freud's long-standing London dealer, and Brooke Alexander, the New York print publisher whose roster of American and British artists represents the most significant print publishing of the late twentieth century. Referenced as Hartley 32 and F. 68 in the two authoritative references for Freud's prints. This impression is numbered /50 — in the first half of the edition, typically considered the most desirable range of impressions for hand-coloured works, as the artist's colouring may have the freshest energy

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FAQ 

Is this an original Lucian Freud print?
Yes — an original etching with hand-colouring on BFK Rives wove paper, signed in pencil and numbered /50 by the artist, from an edition of 50 plus 10 artist's proofs.

What makes each impression unique?
The hand-colouring is applied individually by Freud to each impression — making every example in the edition subtly distinct, and elevating the work from a conventional print multiple to a hybrid between print and unique work.

What is the edition size?
50 impressions plus 10 artist's proofs. This example is numbered /50.

Is this work referenced in the catalogue raisonné?
Yes — listed as Hartley 32 and F. 68 in the two authoritative references for Freud's prints.

Who is Lord Goodman?
Lord Arnold Goodman (1913–1995) was one of the most influential cultural and political figures in postwar Britain — lawyer, arts administrator, chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain, and trusted adviser to Harold Wilson. His friendship with Freud was part of the artist's deep engagement with the British establishment he simultaneously inhabited and observed.

Who published this work?
Co-published by James Kirkman — Freud's long-standing London dealer — and Brooke Alexander, New York, one of the most respected print publishers in American and British art.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes — worldwide, with museum-grade flat packaging, full insurance, and shipment tracking.

Drawn to this piece? Richard Prince's collection may move you in the same way.