Frank Auerbach
1964
Oil paint on board
61 x 61 cm
Having completed three major charcoal heads of Gerda Boehm in 1961 (reunited in this exhibition), Auerbach turned to making paintings of her. Here, Boehm’s pose is closely comparable to the one in the drawing shown on the left. Working with just three basic tones, Auerbach was able to invest the mass of paint with an unexpected vitality. He has spoken of the importance of repeatedly working from one sitter: ‘To paint the same head over and over leads to unfamiliarity; eventually you get near the raw truth about it’.