Frank Auerbach's 2015 ArtReview analysis examines his fusion of modernist abstraction and empirical representation

Frank Auerbach's artistic style combines modernist abstraction with a focus on empirical representation, integrating the gestural techniques of Abstract Expressionism with figurative elements. He emerged in the 1940s and 1950s alongside notable London figurative artists such as Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, ultimately achieving global acclaim in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His works from the early 1950s to the 1960s are characterized by heavy layers of oil paint, while the mid-1960s marked a shift to lighter applications. Auerbach's approach distills sketches into geometric shapes, often portraying familiar subjects like family and scenes from his Camden Town studio. Notable pieces include Head of E.O.W. i–vi (1960–61), Bacchus and Ariadne (1971), and The Origin of the Great Bear (1967–68), with portraits such as Reclining Head of J.Y.M. (1975) examining the balance between representation and artistic process.