The following notes for readers are extracted from the catalogue raisonne vol. Sex, violence and death rule in mfahs francis bacon show francis bacon. Bacon, portraits and selfportraits book, 1996 worldcat. He often based his paintings on a variety of photographic images and one source for the figure here may be a film still from soviet director sergei eisensteins battleship potemkin. He had a copy of eadweard muybridges pioneering book from the 1880s, the human figure in motion which explored movement through series of still sequential images of people walking, running, jumping and wrestling. T he houston museum of fine arts new blockbuster is francis bacon. He then moved onto paris, before returning to london and starting out as an interior designer. Portraits and selfportraits, published in association with the estate of francis bacon, is th francis bacons tormented selfimages, his brutal portrayals of friends and fellow artists, and his deformations and stylistic distortions of classicism have broken the mould of portraiture. With major, signature triptychs and many other works, the show encapsulates a lifetime of powerful.
The philosophy books that inspired francis bacons art dazed. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Throughout his career, the human figure was the dominant subject in his work. Francis bacon, painter, is dead at 82 francis bacon, louise bourgeois and franz xaver messerschmidt. Portraits and selfportraits bacon, francis, borel, france, kundera, milan on. Bacons series of screaming popes, meanwhile, were inspired by velazquezs portrait of pope innocent x.
Original portraits of francis bacon information sheet regarding the original portraits of sir francis bacon, baron verulam, viscount st alban, lord chancellor six portraits of francis bacon were done from life as far as is known. The artworks of francis bacon and containing the word francis bacon, oil, expressionism, body, portraits own a francis bacon, post impressionist painter, art print to add style and culture to any room. The most expensive francis bacon paintings at auctions. Francis bacon was the loudest, rudest, drunkest, most soughtafter british artist of the 20th century. Bacon grow up and was more independent he then travelled to berlin were he spent most of his time there. A native of south africa, he completed his doctorate at princeton university where his dissertation on francis bacon was published by garland publishing inc.
Portraits by alberto giacometti and francis bacon gagosian new york, 2008. Of course, we are meat francis bacon, three studies of muriel belcher, 1966. Catalogue raisonne by martin harrison and rebecca daniels, which was published by the estate of francis bacon in 2016. The unsparing pages of francis bacon hyperallergic. Francis bacon, 1st viscount st alban person national. Late paintings opens sunday the museum of fine arts, houston, its only u. Unfollow francis bacon art book to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Francis bacon was was born in dublin on 28 october 1909, the second of five. From the 1940s until his death in 1992 he worked consistently as a. Sex, violence and death rule in mfahs francis bacon show. Francis bacon was a british artist of the twentieth century. Seated figure is a powerful example from francis bacons most celebrated series of works. Triptychs gagosian london, 2006 and isabel and other intimate strangers. The papal portraits of 1953 explores the largest series of paintings made by the british artist francis bacon.
Bacon concentrated his energies on portraiture, often. Francis bacon 28 october 1909 28 april 1992 was an irishborn british figurative painter known for his emotionally charged raw imagery. Michael peppiatts account of his time as francis bacons confidant shows him to be acutely aware of living in the artists shadow. Bacon always vigorously opposed overanalysis of his paintings, preferring to interpret them in purely illustrative or symbolic terms.
Francis bacon was a great artist, but a very bad record keeper. He is best known for his depictions of popes, crucifixions and portraits of close friends. Gagosian new york is pleased to present francis bacon. Francis bacon, the artist, paints provocative and disturbing images that carry a raw sense of anxiety and alienation. Lucian freud taschen book 2007 lucian freud marlborough exhibition catalogue, october 1963. Francis bacon never drew from life and always worked from photographs. Ive done a lot of selfportraits, really because people have been dying around me like flies and ive nobody else left to paint but myself. Francis bacons portraits of screaming popes and lovers. Three studies of muriel belcher francis bacon bacon captures the darkness of human essence in ways i wish i understood the artworks of francis bacon and containing the word francis bacon, oil, expressionism, body, portraits my secret eye junk for code. Photobooth portraits of francis bacon, george dyer, and david plante in aixenprovence, mounted to the inside cover of a book 19661967. Francis bacon in the disquise of an artist, in the disquise of the painted. Francis bacon, 1st viscount st alban 15611626, philosopher and lord chancellor. Bacons unique interpretations and the intensely personal nature of his work make it difficult to visually trace his influence in contemporary art. Sitter in 47 portraits dublinborn bacon left ireland at the age of sixteen, settling permanently in england in 1928.
They reflect that existential fear, loathing and incomprehension at the atrocities of the holocaust that came to light at the end of world war two. Sitter associated with 63 portraits a lawyer, philosopher, essayist and scientist, bacon was one of the great intellectual figures of jacobean england. The art itself lends itself to the greater mystery, and. The information in the present section on is based on the data in francis bacon. This silent figure painted in 1960 and cloaked in a rich bloodred crimson is a work that stands as an almost unique example from.
Francis bacon 28 october 1909 28 april 1992 was an irishborn british figurative painter known for his bold, grotesque, emotionally charged, raw imagery. The paintings helped establish his reputation in the early 1950s. Francis bacon, viscount saint alban, francis bacon, viscount saint albans, sir francis bacon meanwhile, sometime before july 1591, bacon had become acquainted with robert devereux, the young earl of essex, who was a favourite of the queen, although still in some disgrace with her. Inaugurated by the socalled screaming popes of the 1950s, bacons renowned series of papal portraits were the works responsible for establishing the artists reputation. The art of francis bacon 19091992 epitomizes the angst at the heart of the modern human condition. Books and painting, a new exhibition at the centre pompidou in paris through jan. One of the most elusive and enigmatic creative geniuses of modern times, francis bacon was a man of endless contradictions and facets. This will be the third exhibition of bacons work following francis bacon. The irish figurative painter was said to have had an enormous library. Francis bacons first portrait of lover george dyer to go. Painter of a dark vision discoveries christopher domino on.
He produced series of images of popes, crucifixions and portraits of close friends, with abstracted figures sometimes isolated in geometrical cages, set against flat, nondescript backgrounds. Bacon portraits and self portraits by francis bacon. Perhaps he did not, but the truth is that bacons figures including his selfportraits have caused all but indifference. Master of ebullient despair francis bacon, the papal portraits of 1953 francis baconhenry moore. Portraits and selfportraits is composed of bacons representations of peopleranging from lucian freud to mick jaggerwith many details and photographs that unveil the remarkable likenesses retained in studies that on the surface are gross distortions. Francis bacon was a patron of libraries and developed a functional system for the cataloging of books by dividing them into three categorieshistory, poetry, and philosophywhich could further be divided into more specific subjects and subheadings. Artwork page for study for a portrait, francis bacon, 1952 francis bacon painted directly onto the raw, unprimed side of the canvas and here emphasised the texture further by rubbing sand into the paint. As is the case with any artist, be they a writer, painter or musician, the key to understanding their work is all in the lives they have led. As bacon remarked to david sylvester in 1975, i loathe my own face. Francis bacons first portrait of george dyer, the east end petty criminal who became the artists lover and muse, is to appear at auction for the first time. For those of you who have spent considerable time reading about the templars, illuminatus, masons, et. Born in dublin in 1909, he spent most of his life in london. Francis bacons tormented selfimages, his brutal portrayals of friends and fellow artists, and his deformations and stylistic distortions of classicism have broken the mould of portraiture. In two essays, this book examines forty of some of his works.
Explore the life of english artist francis bacon, who was known for his expressive, often disturbing paintings of the human figure, at. The work three studies for figures at the base of a crucifixion 1944, tate established him as an artist of international importance. Francis bacon, autoportrait, 1969 francis bacon, francis. Francis bacon produced some of the most iconic images of wounded and traumatized humanity in postwar art. Nevertheless, his paintings have inspired some of the most standout artists of this generation, including julian schnabel and. Francis bacon was a dominant figure of postwar art, and his canvases remain unmistakable for their contorted emotion and visceral physicality. In this invaluable book michael peppiatt, a major art critic and close friend of bacons, offers an entertaining and uniquely wellinformed portrait of this complex artist. For the first time, this book collects all eight study for portrait paintings, the famous study after velazquezs portrait of pope innocent x from 1953 and several other works from the period. Cheim and read francis bacon, confounder of art critics. Francis bacon is one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. In study for selfportrait bacon portrays himself, as in many of his portraits, contained within a geometric interior form that evokes the trial of nazi adolf eichmann in his courtroom glass cage. Francis bacon the portraits francis bacon was born in dublin, ireland to english parents.