Frank Auerbach
1956
Charcoal and chalk on paper
76.2 x 55.9 cm
Working in charcoal allowed Frank Auerbach to explore dramatic effects of light and dark. He used white chalk and an eraser to cut through the darkness of the charcoal and shape the sitter’s head and features. The prominent diagonal lines create structure, energy and tension, heightening the intense presence of the sitter. Auerbach’s drawn portraits of Stella West began the major series of charcoal heads made in the post-war years. This work may have been one of the drawings Auerbach showed at an exhibition dedicated to his charcoal heads at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London in 1957, alongside others displayed in this room.
Private collection
© the artist, courtesy of Frankie Rossi Art Projects, London.