Frank Auerbach

Marlborough Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in July 1991

Chicago, Chicago International Art Fair, May 1991

This work is in excellent condition overall. There is a tiny loss to the outer edge of the bottom left corner. Under ultraviolet light, there are no apparent restorations. This work is mounted to a linen backing board and framed behind glass in a wood frame with a silver face.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Head of Julia is a paramount example of Auerbach's choice of subject matter and his long-standing commitment to the concept that personal knowledge of a subject would enable him to translate his own passion and familiarity to a work of art. In the case of the present work, the model is his wife, Julia Wolstenhome, whom he met during his years at the Royal College of Art from 1952-1955 and whom he married in 1958. Auerbach's portraits of Julia therefore capture the most complex and intimate of all relationships between man and woman.

Auerbach and Julia's union was destined to be tumultuous since they married during the artist's longstanding affair with Estella Olive West, who was his mistress and muse for twenty three years, beginning in 1948. It was during this time that Auerbach developed his characteristic style of heavily textured layering and expressionistic lines. The artist insisted on painting from life and never from preparatory work or sketches. The process was laborious and painstaking as Auerbach would scrape down and rework the canvas countless times thus forcing his sitter to hold the same position day after day, often for months.  "The subject becomes richer the longer I go with it," Auerbach explained "unused possibilities present themselves" (Alistair Hicks, ed., Art of Our Time: the Saatchi Collection, Edinburgh, ca. 1988, p. 1).

The present portrait of Julia was painted nearly a decade after he reunited with his wife, having ended his relationship with Estella.  It is a supreme example of Auerbach's later work. Here, Auerbach's confident, strong brushstrokes distribute large amounts of paint from his vibrant palette onto the canvas creating a sculpted surface. The artist most often defined the features of his subjects with thick black lines and shaped their physicality through a dynamic use of color. Auerbach's signature expressionistic style emerged from his distinctive and precise marriage of shape and color. Head of Julia evolved through numerous sittings in order for Auerbach to precisely capture the subject's emotions. The result is an indelible record of the palpable familiarity between artist and subject/muse.