Press Release

A historical exhibition of Frank Auerbach’s most accomplished early portrait works, some of which had not been seen publicly for more than thirty years. The exhibition included portraits of many of the artist’s principal sitters, such as close friend and fellow artist Leon Kossoff, the model Juliet Yardley Mills (J.Y.M.), and Estella Olive West (E.O.W.).

Installation Views

About the Artist

Frank Auerbach was born in Berlin, Germany in 1931 and at the age of seven immigrated to England to avoid Nazi persecution. He studied at the Royal College of Art from 1952 to 1955 and his first solo exhibition took place at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London in 1956.

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About the Gallery
Offer Waterman opened his first gallery in Chelsea, London in 1996. Now based in a five-storey Georgian townhouse in Mayfair, the gallery has developed an international following for its exceptional 20th Century and Contemporary art. Previously the historic William Morris & Co showroom, the gallery at 17 St. George Street provides a relaxed and understated exhibition space across three floors, with a library and research centre on the fifth.

The gallery’s experienced and approachable team are dedicated to helping collectors, at all levels, develop remarkable and individual art collections. Offer Waterman is known for its historical exhibitions including, Frank Auerbach, Early Works (2012), David Hockney, Early Drawings (2015), Robert Rauschenberg: Transfer Drawings from the 1960s and 1970s (2016) and William Turnbull, Centenary Exhibition (2022). In 2023 we collaborated with fashion designer Jonathan Anderson on the exhibition On Foot, which placed 20th century British art in dialogue with Anderson’s own designs and works by contemporary artists and makers. Most recently, in the autumn of 2024, Frank Auerbach: Portraits of London, produced in collaboration with Francis Outred, presented 25 major landscapes from private and museum collections and attracted more than 5,000 visitors.

Offer Waterman is an established benefactor of museums and arts organisations and the gallery has supported numerous museum exhibitions including the Tate’s most recent David Hockney retrospective (2017); the Royal Academy of Arts exhibitions Lucian Freud: The Self-portraits (2019) and David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, (2020) and Barbara Hepworth: Art and Life at the Hepworth Wakefield (2021-22). In 2023, the gallery sponsored exhibitions by two leading female artists - the beautifully curated Lucie Rie: The Adventure of Pottery at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge and the equally compelling Gwen John: Art and Life in Paris and London at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester.
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Address
17 St George Street
London
United Kingdom
Opening Hours
Tuesday – Friday, 11am–5pm
Saturday 11am–4pm

The show will be closed for the holidays on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
(1)
London 17 St George Street
Offer Waterman
17 St George Street, London, United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 7042 3233
https://www.waterman.co.uk/

Opening hours
Tuesday – Friday, 11am–5pm
Saturday 11am–4pm

The show will be closed for the holidays on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
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