May Premier Antique & Collectibles
Lot 149:
Description
Signed (upper right)
Image Dimensions: 15 3/4 x 12 3/4 in (40 x 32.5 cm)
This lot is accompanied by a consignor-provided COA or related documentation, offered as received.
Frank Auerbach, a towering figure in post-war British painting, is celebrated for his emotionally intense and materially dense portraits. Born in 1931 in Berlin and later exiled to London, Auerbach devoted decades to a select group of sitters, chief among them Julia Yardley Mills-known in his work simply as J. Y. M. Their collaborative relationship spanned over 40 years, producing some of the most iconic and psychologically resonant portraits in modern British art.
Titled "Head of J. Y. M., " this powerful portrait exemplifies Auerbach’s obsessive engagement with his subject. Rendered in thick, swirling layers of impasto, the sitter’s features appear almost sculpted from paint, simultaneously emerging and receding within the picture plane. Her tilted head, furrowed brow, and indiscernible gaze convey a profound psychological complexity-part fatigue, part confrontation. The expressive strokes of black, crimson, ochre, and pink define her contours, while the deep green background provides a stark chromatic contrast, amplifying her presence.
Works portraying J. Y. M. are among Auerbach’s most sought-after, many housed in major institutions such as Tate Britain, the Yale Center for British Art, and the Arts Council Collection. At auction, portraits of J. Y. M. have commanded prices ranging from £800,000 to over £2 million, depending on scale and period, particularly those created during the 1970s and 1980s.
Art historically, this painting stands as a profound testament to Auerbach’s radical rethinking of the portrait genre. More than a likeness, it is a document of time, labor, and emotional entanglement. The repetitive sittings and constant reworking became a metaphysical exercise-a way to render presence, memory, and physicality simultaneously.
In spatial terms, the work’s intensity commands attention in intimate settings or museum-grade installations. For collectors focused on post-war European painting and psychological realism, this portrait offers not only aesthetic power but historical significance.
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