‘Big girls can do well’ Lucian Freud subject says as portrait could fetch £35m

Sue Tilley in front of Sleeping by the Lion Carpet (PA) - (PA Archive)

The subject of one of Lucian Freud’s “defining masterpieces” hopes the portrait will show people that “big girls can do well” as the painting goes up for auction and could fetch up to £35 million.

The painting, Sleeping by the Lion Carpet, will go up for sale for the first time as part of The Lewis Collection from Sotheby’s in June.