Lucian Freud’s 1995‑96 canvas “Sleeping by the Lion Carpet”, featuring former benefits supervisor Sue Tilley, will leave the vault for the first time at Sotheby’s June auction. The work, estimated between £25 million and £35 million, is being promoted as a defining masterpiece of the artist’s final portrait quartt.

£35 million price tag reflects record‑breaking Freud sales

The auction house lists the painting’s top estimate at £35 million, echoing the £35.9 million price achieved by Freud’s 1995 “Benefits Supervisor Resting” earlier this decade.. According to Sotheby’s , that sale set a record for any living artist at the time , underscoring the premium collectors place on Freud’s late period.

Sue Tilley’s journey from benefits supervisor to muse

At 62,Tilley recalls working full‑time at the Charing Cross Job Centre and moonlighting as a nightclub cashier when she first met Freud in 1990 through the late performance artist Leigh Bowery. she told the Press Association, “It shows all those skinny girls that big girls can do well as well,” hoping the painting will inspire body‑positive representation.

Freud’s exacting process: a year‑long hiatus over a tan

Freud demanded absolute naturalism ; after Tilley returned from holiday with a tan, he refused to sit for her for a year, insisting models appear without makeup or dyed hair. Tilley described the inaugural session as “physically agonising” – she lay naked on cold, draughty floorboards while the painter tested his perception of scale, often exaggerating hands or feet to capture the viewer’s eye.

The Lewis Collection exhibition frames the work with modern masters

From June 10 to June 23, the portrait will be displayed alongside works by Klimt, Modigliani and Matisse in Sotheby’s The Lewis Collection. The exhibition offers a rare public glimpse of the piece, which was acquired directly from Freud at the time of its creation and has never before been offered at auction.

Unanswered questions about provenance and future ownership

While the auction catalogue confirms the painting’s acquisition from Freud, it does not disclose the identity of the current private owner who consigned it to Sotheby’s. Additionally, it remains unclear whether any condition‑related clauses will affect the final hammer price, given Tilley’s recent health battles, including a mastectomy and radiotherapy.

According to the report, the painting’s “defining masterpiece” status is reinforced by Freud’s own description of the work as the “final and most ambitious” piece in his quartet of Tilley portraits. the combination of personal narrative, market history, and exhibition context makes this sale a focal point for both art lovers and investors.