The Jewish artist Frank Auerbach was born in 1931 in Berlin, a time when Germany was tipping toward catastrophe. In 1939, he was sent to England to escape Hitler; his parents didn’t make it out of the country and were killed at Auschwitz. In the late 50s, while Auerbach was living in London, the world was enthralled with Pop art, but he was documenting the ravages of W.W. II in fiery brushstrokes. Dark corners and sunken faces populated his canvases. At the time, Auerbach was also creating self-portraits characterized by thick impasto and a focus on lines, folds, ridges, and bumps. “When one is young,” he said, “one is excited by drama and when one’s old, truth is exciting.” Now Auerbach is 92, and he’s again put himself up for scrutiny. What has changed? Twenty self-portraits, the latest made in 2021, are a testament to Auerbach’s unflinching eye. —Elena Clavarino