Exceptional Art & Design's Art Writing

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The Legacy of Frank Auerbach: A Life in Paint and Passion

The art world has lost one of its towering figures with the passing of Frank Auerbach, a painter who, for over six decades, charted a path through raw emotion, intense observation, and unflinching dedication to his craft. Auerbach, who passed away yesterday at the age of 93, was among Britain’s most profound and influential artists, forever altering the way we view the human figure and the landscapes around us. His devotion to art was uncompromising, rooted in his daily practice at his Camden studio, where he painted seven days a week, taking only one day off each year.

Auerbach’s distinctive style—characterized by heavy impasto and a palpable physicality to his brushwork—has earned him a place beside his contemporaries and friends, Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud. Although his work is housed in collections around the world, many people are still only beginning to understand his contributions to postwar figurative painting.