The artwork titled “Fragment Head of Gerald Wilde,” created by Lucian Freud in 1943, exemplifies the Surrealism art movement. Crafted using oil on panel, this portrait measures 22.6 by 30.5 centimeters and resides within a private collection.
The artwork portrays a disembodied human head against a textured background. The subject’s face, rendered with stark lines and exaggerated features, exhibits a sense of intense focus and vivid expression. The eyes, large and piercing, dominate the composition, while the angularity of the jaw and cheekbones accentuate the head’s isolation from any contextual bodily form. The background, a nondescript mix of muted colors and abstract patterns, adds to the surreal and somewhat unsettling nature of the piece. The combination of realistic detailing with an abstract background is indicative of Surrealism’s intent to merge reality with the fantastical, creating a disconcerting yet captivating image.
