Frank Auerbach: A Life Painted in Thick Emotion Born in Berlin in 1931, Frank Auerbach’s life was profoundly shaped by the tumultuous events of the early 20th century. His Jewish heritage and the looming threat of Nazi Germany forced a premature departure from his home city, culminating in his arrival in England as a young boy in 1939. This displacement, coupled with the tragic loss of his parents during World War II – a fate shared by countless others within the German diaspora – undoubtedly informed the deeply personal and emotionally charged nature of his work. Auerbach’s childhood was sp…