Frank Auerbach
1959
Charcoal and chalk on paper
76.2 x 55.2 cm
This is one of two self-portraits that Frank Auerbach made in charcoal in the 1950s (the other is displayed in the next room). He drew them in his London studio in Camden Town, observing himself in a mirror with his drawing board resting on a stovepipe to one side. With this work, he pushed his exploration of human form to new levels. Powerful lines cutting across his head and torso suggest underlying structures behind the veil of superficial appearance. It is as if his own body is still in the process of being created.
Private collection
© the artist, courtesy of Frankie Rossi Art Projects, London.