The relationship between Sue Tilley and Lucian Freud is an interesting one. The both of them would work long days with each other when creating a painting so they would go to lunch sometimes along with having friendly conversations while working. Many individuals would assume they would be in a romantic relationship but in reality, they were only friends. Sue Tilley said in an interview “ he made me laugh so hard sometimes I would almost fall off the couch.” This is just one of many examples showing that Freud and Tilley were friends while she modeled for this painting. Their relationship ties together with the painting because everyone would think their friendship made it easier and comfortable for her to sit through long periods completely nude. Even though they did have a good relationship while she modeled for him, a statement made by Tilley about Freud’s characteristics led their friendship to come to an end. Even though this happened after she modeled for him it shows that Sue Tilley is a strong individual and dealt with a lot of criticism over the years and dealt with difficulties from many powerful males but that did not stop her from wanting to continue going against the norms of society and create her own. 

Vanduffel, Dirk. “Freud's Muse Susan Tilley Tells About Her Years With The Artist.” ArtDependence, 18 September 2018, https://artdependence.com/articles/freuds-muse-susan-tilley-tells-about-.... Accessed 16 March 2024.

Laux, Cameron. “Lucian Freud and Sue Tilley: The story of an unlikely muse.” BBC, 14 May 2018, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180514-lucian-freud-and-big-sue-th.... Accessed 16 March 2024.

Art Scene Athens. “Interview with Sue Tilley: Art antics, diverse life experiences and Freud.” art scene athens, 26 June 2020, https://artsceneathens.com/2020/06/26/interview-with-sue-tilley-art-anti.... Accessed 16 March 2024.