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Renowned German-British painter Frank Auerbach dies aged 93

One of Britain’s greatest painters has died at 93. Over a seven-decade career, his artwork – characterised by thick layers of paint and their striking emotional resonance – has been displayed in every major national gallery.

Figurative German-British painter Frank Auerbach, who was saved by the Kindertransport scheme, has died aged 93.

The artist, considered one of the leading names in the School of London with fellow artists Francis Bacon, Henry Moore and Lucian Freud, was renowned for his portrait work and street scenes of Camden in north London.

Over a seven-decade career, his artwork – characterised by thick layers of paint and their striking emotional resonance - has been displayed in every major national gallery.

“Frank Auerbach, one of the greatest painters of our age, died peacefully in the early hours of Monday 11 November at his home in London,” said Geoffrey Parton, director of Auerbach’s gallery Frankie Rossi Art Projects.

“We have lost a dear friend and remarkable artist but take comfort knowing his voice will resonate for generations to come.”

Born in Berlin in 1931, Auerbach came to England in 1939, arriving in London as a refugee from Nazi Germany as one of six children sponsored by the writer Iris Origo. This was done under the Kindertransport scheme, which brought almost 10,000 mainly Jewish children to the UK in order to escape Nazi persecution.

Both his parents were killed in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942.

Auerbach studied at St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London, from 1948 to 1955.

Auerbach's first solo exhibition was at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London in 1956, followed by further solo shows in the early 60s, and then at Marlborough Fine Art in London at regular intervals after 1965.

His first retrospective exhibition was at the Hayward Gallery in 1978 and in 1986, Auerbach was awarded the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Biennale, a prize which he shared with Sigmar Polke. He was nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize that same year.

In 2015, London’s Tate Britain staged a major retrospective of Auerbach’s work. His painting “Head of Gerda Boehm” fetched more than $5 million in 2022.

He is survived by his son Jacob Auerbach.

Additional sources • Frankie Rossi Art Projects