Frank Auerbach: A Life In Art Ends

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Post on Nov 13, 2024

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Frank Auerbach: A Life in Art Ends

Frank Auerbach, the British artist renowned for his intensely expressive and often brutally honest portraits, passed away on October 26, 2023, at the age of 92. His death marks the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy of profound and deeply personal artwork that has captivated audiences for decades.

Born in Berlin in 1931, Auerbach’s life was profoundly shaped by the tumultuous events of the 20th century. Forced to flee Nazi Germany with his family in 1939, he arrived in London as a young refugee. This displacement and the subsequent anxieties it fostered would become recurring themes in his art, imbuing it with a palpable sense of longing and displacement.

Auerbach’s artistic journey began in earnest after the Second World War, during which he studied at the prestigious Borough Polytechnic Institute, a renowned hub for artists in post-war London. He was drawn to figuration and a deep engagement with the human form, finding inspiration in the Old Masters and the immediacy of Expressionism. His early works, often painted in a loose and gestural style, focused on the urban landscapes of London, particularly his adopted neighborhood of Camden Town.

However, it was his portraits that truly cemented his reputation. Through repeated sittings and a relentless exploration of the human face, Auerbach developed a distinctive style characterized by thick, impastoed paint, dramatic chiaroscuro, and a raw emotional intensity. He painted his subjects, often close friends and family members, over and over again, capturing their essence with unwavering honesty. His most iconic subjects include the actress Julia Dallow, his wife, and his long-time sitter, E.O.W. (Edward Owen Wolff), a poet and fellow artist who served as a constant muse.

Auerbach’s work wasn't always readily embraced. His intensely personal and seemingly unfinished aesthetic was initially met with skepticism and resistance from some critics. However, his reputation gradually grew, fueled by critical acclaim and major exhibitions, including retrospectives at the Tate Gallery in 1978 and the Royal Academy in 2001. Today, his works are held in major collections worldwide and are celebrated for their raw honesty, profound humanity, and unwavering dedication to the expressive power of paint.

Auerbach's passing is a significant loss to the art world. His work serves as a testament to the enduring power of artistic expression, a celebration of the human experience in all its complexity and imperfection. His legacy lives on, not only in his prolific body of work, but also in the countless artists he inspired through his dedication to the transformative power of paint and his unwavering belief in the importance of a deeply personal artistic vision.