A monumental nude portrait from 1996, 'Sleeping by the Lion Carpet' is set to go up for sale at Sotheby's on June 24 with a presale estimate of 25 million to 35 million pounds ($33 million to $47 million).

The $33 million toe in the water

Sue Tilley, the model for Lucian Freud's famous painting, posed in front of the 7.5-foot-high image of herself in the auction house showroom, recalling the experience of trudging up the stairs to Freud's London studio for sittings that involved plentiful tea and chitchat, punctuated by a good lunch.

Each portrait was the product of months of work, with Tilley describing the most comfortable session as the one where she was sitting up in a chair, as opposed to lying down, which got painful after a while.

Why 4,000 unsold units became the prize

Tilley, now 69, has not seen any of the millions that Freud's portraits of her have fetched at auction, but she does not regret a thing, saying, "It did change my life," she told The Associated Press.

"Who would have thought I'd be in Sotheby's?" she added, reflecting on the twists her life has taken, including working as a benefits supervisor and being described as having a rich laugh and an air of delight.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

Freud, a grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, is renowned for his fleshy nudes of friends, family, and himself , with the painting 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping' selling at auction in 2008 for $33.6 million, at the time a record for a living artist.

Tilley, who remains unperturbed by her image being sold to the ultra-wealthy, considers herself not vain and even relates to the paintings when she looks at her own legs in the morning.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The painting, a monumental nude portrait from 1996, is set to go up for sale at Sotheby's on June 24,with the presale estimate of 25 million to 35 million pounds ($33 million to $47 million) leaving many wondering who will be the lucky buyer.

As the painting's history is tied to that of its model, Sue Tilley, it remains to be seen whether the buyer will be someone who appreciates the story behind the artwork or simply its monetary value.

Tehran's two-track response

Tilley's experience posing for Freud's painting has left her with a unique perspective on the art world, with her reflecting on the messy energy of Freud's studio, where he would make her a drink whisked with a dirty paintbrush and paint was everywhere.

She also enjoyed hearing Freud's stories of his Bohemian youth with Cecil Beaton, Marlene Dietrich, and Judy Garland, adding to the rich tapestry of her experience.