FRANK AUERBACH | Reclining Head of Julia

Secret Exhibition, Royal College of Art, London, where acquired by the present owner in 1994

Unexamined out of frame. The card appears to be secured to the mount with adhesive strips along each edge. The extreme tip of the lower left corner is slightly compressed. There is a very slight handling mark to the upper left corner and one or two instances of very minor surface dirt. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in excellent overall condition. The work is float mounted and held behind glass in a painted wooden frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any further questions regarding the present lot.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work is a study made in preparation for a 1994 etching of the same subject. This study is unique, both as the only work that Auerbach has contributed to the Secrets exhibitions and in itself. It is closely associated with an important drawing of the same subject that belonged to Lucian Freud (now in the Abbott Hall Art Gallery, Kendal) and which was shown at Tate in 2015, where Auerbach was free to make his own choice of the work to be displayed. Given his working method - where the subject is drawn repeatedly at separate sittings with each attempt being erased until the Artist is satisfied with the final result - it is most likely that the present study would have been made immediately after he had completed the larger drawing.