Frank Auerbach: Speaking and Painting

Frank Auerbach: Speaking and Painting is an intimate portrait of one of Britain’s best-loved painters and an artist of international renown. Born in Berlin in 1931, Auerbach was sent to England via Kindertransport in 1939 to escape the Nazi regime and has lived and worked in London ever since. Auerbach is now in his eighties and is still producing the powerful figurative paintings that have defined his work for over fifty years. This book, drawn from conversations between Auerbach and author Catherine Lampert Auerbach’s sitter for more than twenty years is the first in-depth look at the artist’s long career, written by a personal friend.

Organized chronologically, this is an intimate account of the artist’s life, experiences, and relationships, all set in the context of his prolific career as a painter. The text is enlivened by insights from the artist into his own process: reflections on the places, people, and inspirations that have shaped his life and work. Illustrations include family photographs, scenes of Auerbach in his studio, and color reproductions of his best-known works and those of his contemporaries. Frank Auerbach: Speaking and Painting is supplemented by a select chronology, bibliography, and list of public collections.