Frank Auerbach, one of the most significant British artists of the 20th century, passed away at 93. Auerbach was born in Berlin to Jewish parents, who sent him to London in 1939 to escape the Holocaust, tragically losing their lives. His work, often filled with raw emotion, depicted the devastation of postwar Britain as though it mirrored his own inner turmoil. His early paintings, especially those of bombsites, expressed the emotional scars left by the war, while his portraits and figures captured the struggle to depict the human condition in a world marked by violence and loss.
Auerbach’s art, driven by a blend of figurative representation and abstract expressionism, was never easy. He painted not just to capture likenesses, but to wrestle with the essence of humanity. His portraits, like those of Estella West (EOW), were thick with paint and vibrant colors, creating textured surfaces that almost became sculptural.
In his later years, Auerbach turned to landscapes of London’s Primrose Hill and Hampstead Heath, reflecting a quieter, yet still complex, engagement with the world around him. Despite his fame, he remained deeply focused on his work up until his death, leaving behind a legacy that will only grow in recognition. His journey from a Holocaust survivor to one of the foremost modern painters is a testament to the power of art as a means of both survival and expression.
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