Benefits supervisor Sue Tilley met Lucian Freud three decades ago. Now a painting of her could fetch £35m

Sue Tilley posing in front of her portrait - (PA)

Lucian Freud’s final painting in his series depicting benefits supervisor Sue Tilley is estimated to fetch up to £35m at auction – although the subject admits that she has “never got any money” herself.

Sleeping by the Lion Carpet, which was painted from 1995 to 1996, will go up for sale at Sotheby’s for the first time in June. It has been hailed as one of the late artist’s defining masterpieces, with art critic and historian Martin Gayford calling it “the most important [work] that Freud has ever painted”.