E.O.W. Nude
- Artist: Frank Auerbach
- Date: 1953–4
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 508 x 768 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “E.O.W. Nude” by Frank Auerbach, created between 1953 and 1954. The canvas shows Estella Olive West—his long‑time partner who began posing for him in 1948 when they were both actors in the same play. She sat for the artist for more than twenty years, and this particular painting was built over ten months of regular sittings.
Auerbach worked in a distinctive way: he laid down layers of oil paint and then, while the previous layer was still wet, added new strokes on top. The result is a dense, almost sculptural texture that makes the figure feel almost three‑dimensional. You can see the physical weight of the paint and the lively process of the work, as if the body itself is being built from the inside out.
The portrait captures her in a relaxed, reclining pose, and the thick brushwork emphasizes the contours and flesh, giving the viewer a palpable sense of presence. The piece is a great example of how Auerbach blended technique and intimacy, turning the act of painting into a tangible, almost tactile experience.
See it in person
E.O.W. Nude is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
