Frank Auerbach: A Life Painted in Thick Emotion
Born in Berlin in 1931, Frank Auerbach’s life was profoundly shaped by the tumultuous events of the 20th century. His early years were marked by displacement and loss – his parents, Jewish refugees from Germany, sought refuge in England during the rise of Nazism, only to be tragically killed in concentration camps during World War II. This traumatic experience cast a long shadow over Auerbach’s artistic vision, imbuing his work with an intense emotionality that is immediately palpable.
Auerbach's formative years were spent at Bunce Court, a progressive boarding school for Jewish refugee children in Shropshire during the war. This environment fostered a sense of community and resilience, while the subsequent evacuation to London exposed him to the city’s vibrant art scene. He began his formal artistic training at St Martin’s School of Art, where he encountered David Bomberg, a pivotal figure who encouraged Auerbach's distinctive approach. His time at the Royal College of Art further honed his skills, though it was outside these institutional walls that he truly developed his unique style – a raw, expressive language built upon layers of thickly applied paint.
Auerbach’s artistic journey is inextricably linked to his relationships with three recurring models: Julia, his wife; Juliet Yardley Mills ('J.Y.M.'); and Stella West ('E.O.W.'), a close friend. These figures became the subjects of countless paintings, not as idealized representations but as vessels for Auerbach's deeply felt emotions. He rarely left London, establishing a studio that has remained his base for over six decades – a space where he could immerse himself in the process of creation, allowing his feelings to directly translate onto the canvas.
The School of London and a Distinctive Style
Auerbach’s work is often categorized as part of the “School of London,” a group of British artists who emerged in the mid-20th century. However, he distinguished himself from his contemporaries through an intensely personal and unconventional style. Unlike the more formally trained painters of the time, Auerbach eschewed meticulous draftsmanship and instead embraced a process of direct application – layering paint with a palette knife to build up thick, textured surfaces. This technique created a sense of immediacy and physicality that was both unsettling and profoundly moving.
Critics initially struggled to understand Auerbach’s work, often dismissing it as “sculpture-like” due to the sheer volume of paint used. However, David Sylvester, a key advocate for Auerbach, recognized the painting within the apparent sculpture, arguing that the artist's images were "painterly," not sculptural, and conveyed their impact through psychological resonance rather than physical form.
The influence of Leon Kossoff is also evident in Auerbach’s work. Kossoff, a fellow student at St Martin’s, shared a similar interest in depicting the urban landscape and conveying emotional intensity through paint. Their friendship fostered a mutual appreciation for the expressive potential of thick impasto and a willingness to challenge conventional notions of painting.
Themes of Isolation and Interiority
Auerbach's paintings frequently explore themes of isolation, loneliness, and interiority. His subjects – often rendered in muted tones and bathed in diffused light – seem trapped within their own worlds, conveying a sense of quiet desperation or profound melancholy. The figures are rarely presented in dynamic poses; instead, they are caught in moments of contemplation, lost in thought, or simply enduring the weight of existence.
The use of dark, somber colors—deep blues, browns, and greys—further reinforces this sense of emotional gravity. Auerbach’s palette is not intended to represent reality but rather to evoke a particular mood – one of vulnerability, sadness, and perhaps even a hint of defiance.
Legacy and Recognition
Despite initial skepticism from the art establishment, Frank Auerbach gradually gained recognition for his unique vision and unwavering commitment to his own artistic language. His work was exhibited at prestigious venues such as the Beaux-Arts Gallery, the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. He received an Arts Council retrospective in 1978, solidifying his place among Britain’s most important post-war painters.
Auerbach's paintings continue to resonate with viewers today due to their raw emotional honesty and visceral impact. His work stands as a testament to the power of art to express the deepest recesses of the human experience – a legacy built upon layers of paint, memory, and profound feeling.
