Memorial service planned for Freud

The Queen shakes hands with Lucien Freud before lunch for members of the Order of Merit at Buckingham Palace
12 April 2012

A memorial service will be held for the artist Lucian Freud after a private family funeral.

The British painter, a towering figure in the art world for more than 50 years, died on Wednesday after an illness at the age of 88.

His lawyer Diana Rawstron said: "The funeral will be private and for the family only. There will be a memorial service at a date to be announced."

No date has been set for either event yet.

Meanwhile, a former muse of Freud said sitting for him had a "fantastic" effect on her life.

Sue Tilley, who sat for the nude Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, said she cried when she heard the news of his death.

Freud gave her several etchings, which are potentially worth thousands of pounds, but Ms Tilley said money was not an issue.

She said: "Money's not really important. Don't you think in life sometimes experience is more important than financial gain? Because of this painting I've had fantastic experiences."

The portrait is characteristic of Freud's unflinching style, but Ms Tilley said she watched the work being painted and so was not surprised by it.

"I saw it all the time because it's so huge, you would see it while he was painting it," she said. "He's not behind it, so it's in front of you the whole time, so I got very much used to it."

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