Portraits in Flux: Frank Auerbach’s Psychological Studies

Continuous Reworking and Layering

Auerbach’s artistic process stands as a testament to his commitment to capturing the transient and multifaceted nature of human identity. Far from adhering to traditional notions of completion, Auerbach’s method thrives on the dynamic interplay between destruction and creation, reflecting his belief that identity is constantly evolving. By repeatedly scraping away layers of paint or erasing and redrawing charcoal lines, Auerbach relinquished the notion of permanence in favour of a fluid, iterative exploration of form and emotion. His early charcoal portraits, such as the monumental heads displayed at the Beaux Arts London in 1957, reveal an intense engagement with material and subject. The bold lines, textured layers, and the patched tears in the paper, speak to an artist who refused to shy away from imperfection - these elements echoing a post-war world wrestling with its scars.

In Auerbach’s hands, the act of scraping, layering, and rebuilding becomes a metaphor for resilience and reinvention. His portraits transcend mere likeness to capture the essence of transformation itself, inviting viewers to contemplate not only the sitter’s identity, but the artist’s evolving perception. Auerbach’s process insists that art, like life, is an ongoing negotiation between what is lost and what is created anew. In this way, his work is not simply about the act of portraiture, it is an ode to the ceaseless reimagining of what it means to be human.

The Role of Time in Portrait Creation

Auerbach’s portraits are not fleeting impressions or mere studies of likeness - they are profound meditations on the passage of time and the evolution of understanding. His approach to portraiture, marked by extended sittings that could stretch over years, transforms the act of painting into a shared journey between artist and sitter. This extended process is not merely a technical necessity but a philosophical stance. For Auerbach, the essence of a person cannot be captured in an instant; it must be unearthed gradually, layer by layer, in a process that mirrors the complexities of human experience itself.

The result of this meticulous engagement is not a static depiction but a dynamic narrative in which time becomes an active collaborator. In Julia Sleeping (1998), for example, the sitter’s stillness belies the dynamic interplay of presence and impermanence within the work. The painting captures more than a moment of repose - it embodies the subtle shifts in perception that accrue over countless sessions. In this way, Auerbach’s portraits resist finality, instead existing as living documents of an evolving relationship between artist and subject. Through his deliberate use of time, Auerbach elevates portraiture to challenge viewers to look beyond the surface, to perceive not just the individual depicted but the intricate dance of presence and memory that defines the human condition. In this, Auerbach’s portraits are not just representations but acts of discovery, inviting us to reconsider what it means to truly see, and to be seen.

Auerbach’s vigorous brushwork and layered textures are not merely stylistic choices but acts of inquiry, probing the emotional and psychological depth of his subjects. Each mark, whether a frenetic stroke or a deliberate scrape, represents an evolving conversation between the artist, the medium, and the sitter. This dialogue transcends physical likeness, aiming instead to distill the essence of a person’s inner life onto the canvas. In works like Gerda Boehm (1981), Auerbach’s dynamic lines allow the subject’s personality to emerge, becoming a melding of objective observation and subjective experience. This approach invites viewers to engage with portraiture as an active process, rather than a static image, encouraging them to piece together the personality embedded within the work.

Colour, too, becomes a vital conduit for emotion in Auerbach’s portraits. His palettes are often subdued, eschewing flamboyance for depth. In Ruth (1994), for instance, the restrained tones and somber hues evoke a contemplative intimacy, drawing viewers into the sitter’s quiet world. The careful modulation of color works in tandem with Auerbach’s dramatic linework, amplifying the emotional charge of the piece. Auerbach’s techniques challenge the boundaries of portraiture by prioritising the sitter’s psychological presence over mere physical representation. His visceral style compels the viewer to move beyond recognition to engagement, fostering a connection that is both immediate and complex. This ability to render the ineffable is what elevates Auerbach’s work, placing him among the most psychologically incisive portraitists of modern art.

Intimate Engagements Over Time

The relationship between artist and sitter lies at the heart of Auerbach’s work, forming the foundation upon which his deeply resonant portraits are built. His preference for painting a small, trusted circle of friends and family reflects not a limitation but a deliberate strategy. By returning to the same subjects - like Julia Yardley Mills, Estella West, and Ruth Bromberg - over years or even decades, Auerbach cultivated relationships that transcended casual acquaintance, creating a space of vulnerability and trust. This enduring intimacy allowed him to explore the evolving dimensions of his sitters’ identities, moving beyond surface appearances to capture the subtler currents of emotion, personality, and time.

Auerbach’s commitment to his sitters reflects a broader philosophy about the act of portraiture. For him, capturing a likeness was not merely a technical exercise, but an act of human connection. His long-term collaborations demonstrate that the process of truly seeing another person requires patience, empathy, and a willingness to engage with their complexities. This intimate approach redefines the boundaries of portraiture, proving that its power lies not in static representation but in its capacity to reflect the interplay of lives intertwined - an interplay as much about the artist as it is about the sitter.

Auerbach, like his contemporaries Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon, approached portraiture as a means of delving into the psychological essence of his sitters, rather than merely capturing a polished likeness. Rejecting traditional ideals of precision and refinement, Auerbach embraced a chaotic, layered method of creation, reflecting the multifaceted and often turbulent nature of human identity. This approach parallels Freud’s intense focus on physical and emotional intimacy and Bacon’s visceral, distorted explorations of the human condition. Collectively, these artists have redefined portraiture, inspiring contemporary creators to see it not as a static or decorative practice but as a transformative medium capable of revealing the deeply personal and complex layers of their subjects.

Auerbach’s rejection of traditional norms also carries a broader cultural resonance. By emphasising process over product, he disrupts the commodification of art as a fixed object. His portraits are not tidy or easily digestible; they demand effort, patience, and reflection from the viewer. This ethos has inspired a generation of artists to resist the pressures of immediacy and mass appeal, encouraging authenticity and experimentation in a fast-paced, image-saturated world.

Auerbach’s portraits challenge us to reconsider the essence and purpose of portraiture. Through his intense, iterative process and refusal to settle for conventional representations, Auerbach captures not only the likeness of his sitters but the shifting, layered complexities of their identities over time. His work transforms portraiture into a profound exploration of human psychology, resilience, and the dynamic interplay between artist and subject. By prioritising depth, vulnerability, and prolonged engagement, Auerbach redefines the genre as a living, evolving dialogue.