Rags to riches dream for a £6k ‘Freud original’

WITH Lucian Freud’s works selling for up to £35million, a neighbour hopes one of the late artist’s cloths could lead to riches.

Jo Statham, who lived below Freud’s studio in London’s Holland Park, is auctioning a heavily daubed, white cotton rag for a startling starting price of $7,500 (£5,882). ‘It does seem rather expensive,’ sniffs Freud’s former assistant, David Dawson.

The rag fell onto Jo’s balcony one day and he let her keep it. The eBay lot includes a handwritten note by Freud in which he apologises for her TV aerial being knocked by his builder.

Dawson didn’t keep any rags himself. He tells me: ‘I’m only interested in his work, not paraphernalia.’ Pity...