Frank Auerbach
1955
Oil paint on board
78.7 x 66 cm
The sitter in this striking work is Estella Olive West (1916–2014), known as Stella. Identified in titles only by her initials, West had a long relationship with Frank Auerbach who made several paintings of her in the early 1950s before embarking on his series of portrait heads in charcoal. Working directly from his sitter, Auerbach repainted this portrait many times over several years. The paint grew thicker until he eventually achieved a ‘unique image’. One of Auerbach’s first major paintings, it seems somehow both ancient and modern.
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales
Accepted in lieu of inheritance tax by HM Government and allocated to Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, 2015
© the artist, courtesy of Frankie Rossi Art Projects, London.