Primrose Hill

Tate Gallery, London, the UK.

Board, oil.

The artist rarely left London, only in case of emergency; he painted his landscapes mainly in the city. Primrose Hill is a square that was not far from the master’s studio; he depicted it many times, from different angles, at different times of the day and, therefore, under different lighting conditions. Like his favorite landscape painter John Constable, Auerbach tried to put into his works all the harmony of nature that he felt when looking at this rather simple and everyday landscape. The hills in the picture are represented by smooth twisting strokes, while the sky, through which clouds swiftly sweep, is depicted more dynamically. Nature in the painting by Frank Auerbach moves and shimmers in different directions, like sea waves, and not a single human figure violates this magnificent tranquility.