Over a period of more than 7 months (from November 28, 2003, to July 4, 2004), Martin Gayford, a London art critic, author, and friend of Lucian Freud, poses as a model for the British painter. The critic keeps a diary of each session, detailing the conversations with the master and his feelings as every inch of his face is scrutinized, observed, and transposed onto the canvas. He captures the concentration and tension as well as the sometimes agonizing slowness or even boredom with which the painting develops inch by inch. Freud shares witty remarks about fellow artists he has known, including Picasso, Max Ernst, Giacometti, and Francis Bacon. His insights are often unusual, but always interesting and enlightening.