I am beginning this presentation of paintings by Lucian Freud with 'Girl with a Kitten', painted in 1947.
It could have been titled 'Kitty with Kitten' as it is, in fact, a portrait of Freud's first wife Kitty, to whom he was married for four years.
Kitty was the daughter of sculptor Jacob Epstein and socialite Kathleen Garman.
Note that this picture is in Freud's early style and does not have many of the characteristics of his later work - the extreme ugliness, the distortion.
However, it is still rather disturbing - dare I say 'manic'?
Look at the eyes - Kitty staring vacantly into space and the the poor kitten's eyes expressing terror as it is slowly throttled!
(click on image to enlarge)
jenray
Pro 
Freud doesn't paint distortion and ugliness, he paints the human model as he sees it and it's very realistic...it's just that he uses very thick paint to almost create a 3D effect...this particular painting does look as if she's about to strangle the kitten...LOL...GBHs...