Lucian Freud and his painting under the Jamaican sky.

Lucian Freud (1922-2011)

Autographed letter signed to Ann Fleming.

Two quarto pages including a humorous press collage.

On blue paper bearing the letterhead of Ian Fleming's Jamaican home, Goldeneye .

Oracabessa. Jamaica. (Circa 1952/1953)

“Clouds only appear when I need them for my picture… I now start work at sunrise.”

A magnificent and rare letter from the British painter describing in a surrealist style a scene in a banana grove, then discussing his painting work.

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“ Dearest Anne, all is well. They have got me a ticket for the 8th ^via Miami, New York and Holland which is rather exciting. I am still sitting in the banana wood in almost the same place and am now such a fixture there that birds sit on me and spiders use my head to help hold up their new webs. There was a moment of slight tension when Violet [Cummings, the Flemings' housekeeper], was handing round the vegetables in a glass dish, and, mistaking her fingers for sausages I tried to help myself to the but luckily for Violet they were on the other side of the glass! whatever you do don't tell James that the daily gleaner thinks he lives in ( press collage mentioning a dead end at Nothinghill) about nothing . Coward] is better than an alarm clock and I now start work at sunrise. I cannot start to thank you – I long to give you something you really want or need but you really have everything perhaps I can save your life or see that Casper (the son of the Fleming couple) is canonized. Love to Ian. Very much love from L.”

Translation:  “My dearest Anne, everything is fine. They got me a ticket for the 8th via Miami, New York, and Holland, which is rather exciting. I am still sitting in the banana grove, pretty much in the same spot and so fixedly present that the birds sit on me and the spiders use my head to weave and maintain their new webs. There was a moment of slight tension when Violet (Cummings, the Flemings' housekeeper) was handing out vegetables… There was a rather sinister thunderstorm yesterday that you would have loved. The food is getting more delicious every day, and the clouds only appear when I need them for my photographs… I am now starting work at dawn…”