Repeatedly drawing the same sitters from among his circle of close friends, Auerbach conveys his subjects with truth, tenderness and empathy, getting to the very heart of them
He has painted the same people over and over, sometimes for 40 years, dabbing, rubbing out, then starting again. Although the great artist now has to hold onto his easel to work, he still hopes to die with a brush in his hand
Holocaust orphan Auerbach’s stunning paintings – tangled masses with hints of horror – have been brought out of the Tate’s vaults to resonate poignantly in a time of war