Ruth 1994

Frank Auerbach made this print, titled Ruth, using etching. Look how he's built the image from a mesh of lines, almost like he's knitting with ink. It’s a process of layering and excavation, as if he’s feeling his way through the image. The surface is alive with the energy of the mark-making. See how the lines vary from delicate scratches to bold, assertive strokes. There’s a real sense of searching, of the artist trying to grasp the essence of his subject. Notice the area around the head, where the lines are most dense and tangled, creating a vortex of energy. It reminds me of a Giacometti sculpture, all nervous energy and raw emotion. Auerbach’s work is like a conversation, a back-and-forth between the artist and the image. And just like a good conversation, it leaves you with more questions than answers, which is exactly what makes it so compelling.