Date of Birth: April 29, 1931
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Biography
Frank Helmut Auerbach is a German-born British painter, renowned for his thickly impastoed portraits and cityscapes. Born on April 29, 1931, in Berlin, Germany, Auerbach was sent to England in 1939 to escape the Nazi regime, which tragically led to the loss of his parents in concentration camps. Auerbach’s early life was marked by this upheaval, but he found solace in art. He studied at St Martin’s School of Art and later at the Royal College of Art. Auerbach’s work is characterized by a commitment to capturing the essence of his subjects through repeated sittings and dense, textural layers of paint. His subjects often include close friends, family, and scenes around his studio in London. Despite the complex, sometimes chaotic appearance of his work, Auerbach is known for his disciplined and rigorous approach to painting. He has remained a significant figure in the post-war British art scene and continues to influence contemporary artists.
5 Interesting Facts about Frank Auerbach
1. Frank Auerbach was awarded the prestigious Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1986.
2. He was a close friend and contemporary of fellow artist Lucian Freud, who once described Auerbach as “the greatest living painter.”
3. Auerbach’s painting process involves scraping down and reworking canvases multiple times, sometimes over several years.
4. He has been represented by the Marlborough Gallery in London since the 1960s.
5. In 2015, his painting “Head of Gerda Boehm” sold for a record $4.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Frank Auerbach
1. “If you pass something every day and it has a little character, it begins to intrigue you.”
2. “Painting is a kind of alchemy. The artist puts down the values which are inside him, not those which he sees before him.”
3. “I think painting is a kind of a way of thinking.”
4. “I hate the idea of being a professional artist. I think anybody who is an artist is an amateur.”
5. “The excitement of painting is one of the most private and personal experiences one can have.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
The highest net worth achieved by Frank Auerbach is estimated to be around $20 million.
Children
Frank Auerbach has one son, Jake Auerbach, who is a documentary filmmaker known for creating films about artists, including his father.
Relevant Links
1. [Frank Auerbach on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Auerbach
2. [Frank Auerbach at the Tate Gallery](https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/frank-auerbach-676
5. [Interview with Frank Auerbach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlXlF9p8y2A
