Painter Frank Auerbach, who fled the Nazis and became a major artist, dies at 93

LONDON (AP) — Frank Auerbach, who fled Nazi Germany for Britain as a child and became one of the major artists of the 20th century, has died aged 93.

Auerbach’s gallery, Frankie Rossi Art Projects, said on Tuesday the artist died at his home in London the day before.

Born in Berlin in 1931, Auerbach came to England in 1939 as a child refugee. After studies at St. Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, he devoted the remaining seven decades of his life to painting.

He lived and worked in the same north London studio from 1954 until his death and, according to his gallery, worked 364 days a year.

Along with the other “School of London” post-war artists including Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Leon Kossoff, he focused on figurative painting regardless of changing artistic fashions, often slathering canvasses in thick layers of paint to produce near-abstract but recognizable landscapes.

He represented Britain at the 1986 Venice Biennale, winning the Golden Lion top prize. His most recent exhibition, Frank Auerbach: The Charcoal Heads, opened at London’s Courtauld Gallery in February.

In later life, his work commanded high prices. In 2023, “Mornington Crescent” – one of many inspired by the urban streets near his home — sold at Sotheby’s for $7.1 million, a record for the artist.

“We have lost a dear friend and remarkable artist but take comfort knowing his voice will resonate for generations to come,” said Geoffrey Parton, director of Frankie Rossi Art Projects.

Auerbach is survived by his son, Jacob Auerbach.