Frank Auerbach : The Charcoal Heads

Engaging exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery of portraits in charcoal by Frank Auerbach.

These were exquisite works from early in his career where the heads seemed to look out of the darkness with a ghostly quality. Close to they had a ragged feel but as you moved away beautiful faces emerged.

The commentary was fascinating saying how he made them by drawing the figure over a number of hours then rubbing it out and drawing over it. He repeated this until he was happy with the image. Often, he rubbed them out so many times and vigorously that the paper tore and he patched it. This had the effect of making the people look broken.

I loved the fact that he drew the same people again and again, with this show featuring his friends Stella, the artist Leon Kossoff, his cousin Gerde Bohem and his wife Julia.

My favourite however was a self-portrait from 1958 which was beautifully drawn and pulled you across the axis of the two rooms to look at it. It had a Rembrandt like quality of introspection and technique. 

Closes 27 May 2024


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