Frank Auerbach, one of the most influential figures in British art, renowned for his thickly layered portraits and groundbreaking approach to painting, passed away in London on Monday at the age of 93. The news was announced by Frankie Rossi Art Projects on Tuesday, though no cause of death was provided.
Auerbach’s career spanned more than seven decades, during which he challenged traditional notions of portraiture with his intense and sculptural use of paint. His works often blurred the line between representation and abstraction, as his subjects—frequently close acquaintances—were rendered with such density of paint that their identities seemed to dissolve into swirling, chaotic backgrounds.
Beginning in the 1950s, Auerbach’s approach to painting transformed the medium. His portraits of Estella Olive West, an actress with whom he shared a turbulent 23-year relationship, remain some of his most iconic works. Paintings like E.O.W. Nude (1953–54), currently on display at Tate Britain, exemplify his radical technique. West’s form, reduced to blobby strokes of gray against stark black, defied conventional portraiture and instead invited viewers to question the very act of depiction.
Critics were divided on Auerbach’s method. His works were described as "blatant" and "indigestible," yet many recognized their raw authenticity. As Auerbach himself explained in a 2001 interview with The Guardian, “Good paintings do attack fact from an unfamiliar point of view. They’re bound to look genuine, and in some way actively repellent, disturbing, itchy, and not right.”
Courtesy of L.A. Louver, Venice, CA
Born in Berlin on April 29, 1931, to Jewish parents, Auerbach fled Nazi Germany in 1939, finding refuge in England. His parents, who were later deported to concentration camps, perished during the Holocaust, a tragedy that deeply shaped his artistic perspective. Auerbach began his journey into art at Bunce Court, a boarding school in Kent, and later pursued formal training at St. Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art.
Auerbach’s career was punctuated by significant milestones. His 1956 solo show was hailed as the best one-man exhibition in England since Francis Bacon. Over the years, his practice expanded to include increasingly abstract heads and intricate London cityscapes. In 1986, he represented Britain at the Venice Biennale, winning the prestigious Golden Lion alongside German artist Sigmar Polke.
Despite his prominence in the UK, Auerbach’s recognition abroad remained limited. While he received multiple retrospectives in England, including a major exhibition at Tate Britain in 2015, he never had an institutional solo show in the United States. Nevertheless, his work has been celebrated for its "transhistorical and international" resonance, as noted by Art in America.
In his later years, Auerbach continued to work prolifically, often using himself as a model. Even at an advanced age, he remained driven by an unrelenting pursuit of artistic truth. Reflecting on his process, he told The New York Times, “I start always in the hope of picking up my brushes, putting an amazing momentous image on the canvas, and finishing the painting—and it’s never happened yet.”
Frank Auerbach leaves behind a legacy of innovation and intensity that redefined what painting could be. His works, deeply tied to personal and historical narratives, continue to challenge and inspire viewers around the world.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
