Frank Auerbach -

F R A N K A U E R B A C H

C o n c e r t i n a P o s t c a r d S e t

P O S T C A R D S

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© Estate of Frank Auerbach / Frankie Rossi Art Projects, London.

D E T A I L S

Publisher: Courtauld (2024)
Type: Concertina set of 9 mini postcards
Size: 6.3 x 10.5 cm
ISBN-13: 5021043401642
Finish: Matt finish
Country: UK

Cute set! The Concertina Postcard Set featuring Frank Auerbach’s work includes 9 mini postcards from Auerbach’s “Charcoal Heads” exhibition. The postcards are designed to be displayed together in a concertina format or used individually as notelets. Each postcard showcases Auerbach’s distinctive style, characterized by his expressive use of charcoal and dynamic compositions.

The set is enclosed in a neat cover sleeve with thumbnails of each artwork, making it a compact and attractive collection. The postcards have a matte finish and are printed in the UK, with dimensions of 6.3 x 10.5 cm.

More:
The Concertina Postcard Set features 9 mini postcards from Frank Auerbach’s “Charcoal Heads” exhibition. Each postcard showcases a different artwork from this series, highlighting Auerbach’s expressive use of charcoal and dynamic compositions1. The set is designed to be displayed together in a concertina format or used individually as notelets.

Here are the individual postcards included in the set:

Head of E.O.W. I
Head of E.O.W. II
Head of Julia
Head of Gerda Boehm
Head of Helen Gillespie
Head of Leon Kossoff
Self-Portrait
Head of J.Y.M.
Head of David Landau

Each postcard captures the unique intensity and texture of Auerbach’s charcoal drawings

Frank Auerbach & Gerda Boehm:
Frank Auerbach and Gerda Boehm shared a deeply significant and poignant relationship. Gerda Boehm was Auerbach’s older cousin and one of his closest surviving relatives after he escaped Nazi Germany under the Kindertransport scheme in 1939. Tragically, Auerbach’s parents were murdered in Auschwitz in 1943, making Gerda an even more crucial figure in his life.

Gerda and her husband had fled to England in 1938, a year before Auerbach arrived. She first sat for Auerbach in 1961 and continued to do so regularly until 1982. Their shared history of loss and survival deeply influenced Auerbach’s portraits of her, which are characterized by their emotional intensity and thickly worked impasto.

Auerbach’s technique involved building up layers of paint, scraping them back, and reapplying them, creating a textured and dynamic surface that captures not just the physical likeness but also the emotional and psychological presence of his subjects. This method is evident in his portraits of Gerda, such as the notable “Head of Gerda Boehm” from 1964.

Their relationship and the resulting artworks are a testament to their enduring bond and the profound impact of their shared experiences.

Frank Auerbach & E.O.W.:
Estella (Stella) Olive West, often referred to as E.O.W., was a significant figure in Frank Auerbach’s life and work. She was an amateur actress and a widow with three children when she met Auerbach in 1947. Stella became one of Auerbach’s most frequent sitters, posing for him regularly over a span of twenty years.

Auerbach painted Stella in numerous portraits, often working in her home three evenings a week, always by electric light. This consistent and intimate setting contributed to the unique and intense quality of his portraits of her.

Many of the portraits are characterized by Auerbach’s expressive brushwork and thick impasto, capturing the depth of their relationship and his unique artistic vision.

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Frank Auerbach & Helen Gillespie:
Helen Gillespie was one of Frank Auerbach’s early and frequent sitters. Auerbach painted her several times between 1962 and 1965. His portraits of Helen are known for their expressive use of thick impasto and dynamic brushwork, capturing not just her physical likeness but also a sense of her presence and character2.

Frank Auerbach & Julia:
Frank Auerbach’s wife, Julia Wolstenholme, has been a significant figure in his life and work. They met at the Royal College of Art in London in the 1950s. Julia has been a regular sitter for Auerbach over many years, and she appears in numerous portraits and prints.

Auerbach’s portraits of Julia are known for their expressive brushwork and thick impasto, capturing the depth of their relationship and his unique artistic vision.

Many of these portraits often depict Julia in a reclining pose, which she adopted to avoid getting too tired during the long sitting.

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Frank Auerbach & J.Y.M.:
J.Y.M. stands for Juliet Yardley Mills, who was a professional model and one of Frank Auerbach’s most frequent sitters. Auerbach painted her regularly over several decades, capturing her in numerous portraits that showcase his distinctive style and technique.

Juliet Yardley Mills, often referred to simply as J.Y.M., began sitting for Auerbach in the early 1960s and continued to do so for over thirty years. Auerbach’s portraits of J.Y.M. are known for their thick impasto and expressive brushwork, which create a textured and dynamic surface.

She died in 2001 and after she became too ill to sit, really missed it.

Frank Auerbach & Leon Kossoff:
Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff shared a remarkable friendship and artistic collaboration that spanned over seven decades. Both artists were key figures in the School of London, a group known for their commitment to figurative painting during a time when other styles like abstraction and conceptual art were more fashionable.

Auerbach and Kossoff first met at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London in the late 1940s1. They often painted each other, with Auerbach creating several portraits of Kossoff and vice versa. Their relationship was not only professional but also deeply personal, with both artists influencing each other’s work significantly.

Kossoff’s family bakery in the East End of London even provided a backdrop for their early friendship, where they worked together to support their art school expenses. This bond continued throughout their careers, with both artists maintaining a focus on the human figure and the urban landscape of post-war London.

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Frank Auerbach & David Landau:
Frank Auerbach and David Landau shared a long and meaningful relationship, both personally and artistically. David Landau, a businessman, art historian, and arts patron, first met Auerbach in 1983 while selecting an artist to commission a portrait of the historian Lord Asa Briggs for Worcester College, Oxford. Although Auerbach did not paint Briggs, he began painting Landau, who became one of his regular sitters.

Landau sat for Auerbach every Friday starting in 1984, a routine that continued for over thirty years. This regular interaction allowed Auerbach to build a deep rapport with Landau, which is evident in the psychological depth and intensity of the portraits. Auerbach’s process involved creating and then erasing his drawings repeatedly, capturing the essence of his sitter through this iterative method.

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2024: 2 sets in stock. Official release. Condition: 'new - not sealed'.

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