Frank Auerbach: 93 Years Of Art

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Post on Nov 13, 2024

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Frank Auerbach: 93 Years of Art - A Life Devoted to Paint and Place

Frank Auerbach, the British artist renowned for his intensely textured and emotionally charged paintings, passed away on October 7th, 2023 at the age of 93. He leaves behind a legacy that encompasses not just a vast body of work, but also a dedication to process, a profound understanding of human form, and a fierce love for the streets of London.

Born in Berlin in 1931, Auerbach's life was forever altered by the horrors of the Nazi regime. He fled to England in 1939 and was naturalized as a British citizen in 1947. It was in this new home that his artistic journey truly began.

Auerbach's art is defined by its raw honesty and unrelenting dedication to realism. He embraced the power of paint, applying it in thick, impasto layers that create a palpable surface texture. His portraits, often of close friends and family, capture not only their physical likeness but also their inner life, their vulnerability, and their quiet strength. He wasn't interested in the fleeting, the superficial, but in the essence of his subjects, their very being.

His landscapes, primarily focused on the streets of London, are equally powerful. The familiar scenes of Mornington Crescent, Camden Town, and Ealing are rendered with an almost mythical intensity. They are not merely depictions of place but expressions of a profound connection to the city, its history, and its changing rhythm.

The artist's working process was as deliberate as his subject matter. He often worked from life, meticulously reworking his paintings over months, even years, adding layers of paint, scraping them back, and rebuilding his vision. He was a master of the slow, deliberate act of creation, rejecting the quick fix and embracing the enduring power of time and touch.

Auerbach's work has received critical acclaim throughout his career. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 2005, and his paintings are held in the collections of major institutions worldwide, including the Tate, the National Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Despite his fame, Auerbach remained grounded, dedicated to his craft, and passionate about his city. He was a quiet observer, a master of his craft, and a true artist who found beauty in the ordinary, the fleeting, and the enduring.

The passing of Frank Auerbach is a loss to the world of art, but his legacy endures. His work will continue to inspire, challenge, and move viewers for generations to come. His 93 years of life were dedicated to the power of paint and the exploration of the human experience, leaving behind a body of work that speaks volumes about the power of art to capture the essence of being.