Subasta Bidspirit | FREUD LUCIAN: (1922-2011) ‘The main

FREUD LUCIAN: (1922-2011) ‘The main advantage of being married here is that it can be done at dusk so that one can emerge, spliced, into the Paris night’ - FREUD LUCIAN: (1922-2011) British painter. A good, rare A.L.S., with his initial L , two pages, 8vo, Rue de Seine, Paris, n.d. (1953), to Ann [Fleming], on the printed stationery of the Hotel La Louisiane. Freud announces ‘In spite of Doc. Leadinghams (sic) warning “Life is cruel, my dear!” we are very well’ and explains that Caroline [Blackwood] will be coming to London for two days on the 18 th , ‘so could you please make a date for her with leadface for the 19 th ?’ , further writing of his upcoming marriage, ‘I think a Paris wedding would perhaps be best as one needs no documents except my divorce papers but where-ever it takes place do please be my best man! The main advantage of being married here is that it can be done at dusk so that one can emerge, spliced, into the Paris night’ . Freud also makes a reference to Ann’s husband, Ian Fleming, stating ‘I am becoming rather like Ian in so much so that a number of subjects can not safely be mentioned in my presence’ . A letter of good content and association. Some very light, extremely minor creasing, otherwise VG Ann Fleming (1913-1981) British socialite whose third husband, from 1952, was Ian Fleming (1908-1964) British writer of the James Bond series of spy novels. Ann Fleming’s friends included the artists Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, the latter of whom painted her portrait. Lady Caroline Blackwood (1931-1996) English writer, socialite and dilettante. Blackwood, the Guinness heiress, was depicted in Freud’s painting Girl in Bed (1952) as well as the autobiographical Hotel Bedroom (1954), the latter also featuring Freud himself and painted at a time when his relationship with Blackwood was beginning to unravel. Both paintings were executed at the Hotel La Louisiane, from where the present letter was written. Ann Fleming had introduced Blackwood to Freud and in December 1952 the two lovers eloped to Paris. Freud’s marriage to his first wife, Kitty Garman, was formally dissolved on 27 th November 1953 and two weeks later, on 9 th December, Freud and Blackwood were married in a civil ceremony at the Chelsea Register Office in London.