The subject of Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, a woman who worked as a benefits supervisor, represented the working class in 20^th century London. Freud was known for his choice of models from diverse social backgrounds including those who lived outside the societal elite. The connection of the image is understanding the subject’s working-class involvement provides context for interpreting the painting. Her portrayal is not one of glamor of privilege, but of realism-showing a body that is weary and unposed, a symbol of the often-overlooked labor and lives of helping the working-class individuals. The image of her sprawled out, resting, is seen as a commentary on the physical and mental exhaustion that comes with the kind of work she did. It speaks to her daily life and the toll that work, and life take on the body, making the image a reflection of her experience as a woman in a working-class environment.

“Lucian Freud and ‘Big Sue’ : The Story of an Unlikely Muse.” Https://Www.theyouthtimes.com/, 2018, www.theyouthtimes.com/news-details/931/Lucian-Freud-And-%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%CB%9CBig-Sue%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%E2%84%A2-:-The-Story-Of-An-Unlikely-Muse

Telegraph Reporters. “Escenic.” The Telegraph, 8 Feb. 2012, www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/9068675/Lucian-Freud.... Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.