Painting

Francis Bacon in 10 Paintings: Flesh and Distortion

Errika Gerakiti 18 November 2024 min Read

Francis Bacon stands out as one of the most renowned postwar painters. His trauma fueled his emotions, crafting a disturbing world filled with dark, distorted figures. Yet, the same existential angst gives shape to his art. Explore with us ten of Francis Bacon’s paintings that uncover the depth of his artistry.

1. Crucifixion, 1933

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Crucifixion, 1933. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Crucifixion, 1933. Francis Bacon Estate.

Although it is one of Francis Bacon’s less popular paintings today, Crucifixion was his first painting to capture public attention. Deviating from its association with religious belief, the motif of crucifixion is treated as an “armature” for feelings and sensations. The almost translucent whiteness in the painting possesses a ghostly quality that amplifies the unsettling nature of the piece. Both combine to create a powerful visual impact. Bacon may have drawn inspiration from Rembrandt‘s Slaughtered Ox (c. 1638), one of his favorite works.

Critics and viewers initially found the painting compelling, but their interest quickly faded. In the weeks that followed, public opinion shifted. Bacon took it to heart and stopped painting for nearly a decade. Regardless, Crucifixion marked the beginning of Bacon’s exploration of fear and pain in his art.

2. Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944. Francis Bacon Estate.

Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion established Bacon’s breakthrough as a chronicler of the stark human condition. The painting draws from various sources, including Picasso‘s biomorphs, interpretations of the crucifixion, and the Greek Furies. As Bacon’s first mature work, the triptych stirred a sensation upon its debut in 1945. It earned him a reputation as the postwar painter to watch.

During the 1940s, Bacon immersed himself in the works of T. S. Eliot and Aeschylus. The latter’s Oresteia, a tale of tragedy and revenge featuring the Greek Furies, profoundly influenced the work. The vivid orange background is set against stone-colored figures resembling human forms in a haunting and unsettling composition. These creatures evoke the Furies, who were thought to be agents of vengeance.

If the painting conveys a symbolism, then it will be humanity’s tendency to self-destruct and its possible fate in the era of global conflicts. Recognizing the significance of this work, Eric Hall purchased the painting and eventually presented it at the Tate Gallery.

3. Painting, 1946

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Painting, 1946. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Painting, 1946. Francis Bacon Estate.

Following his earlier success, Bacon created Painting, another piece that captivated the art world. Originally about a bird alighting on a field, the end product transformed into an unsettling assemblage of meat carcasses. The piece features layers that blend together. Far behind are the outstretched wings of a skeletal bird at the top, perching above a hanging carcass—another nod to Rembrandt. In the foreground, a well-dressed man sits under an umbrella in a circular enclosure adorned with more bones and yet another carcass.

Bacon first exhibited this painting in 1946 at several group shows, including the British section of the Exposition Internationale d’Art Moderne in Paris. Following this exposure, it was sold to the Hanover Gallery. The commission allowed Bacon to relocate to Monte Carlo. He would only briefly return to London in the following years.

While living in Monte Carlo, Bacon frequented the Casino de Monte Carlo. With gambling, he got into debt. At one point, he could barely afford a new canvas, which led him to paint on the raw, unprimed side of his earlier works—a practice he maintained throughout his life. In the end, Painting was sold from Hanover Gallery to Alfred Barr, the curator of MoMA, for £240.

It is important to note that Bacon was a bon viveur. Despite his grim outlook on life, he was articulate and well-read. In Paris, he encountered French postwar painting and Existentialism. By 1946, he had befriended painter Isabel Rawsthorne, who introduced him to Alberto Giacometti, among other artists and intellectuals of the Left Bank. Bacon shared many interests with this circle, including ethnography and classical literature. All these enriched his artistic perspective.

4. Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Study after Velázquez’s Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953. Francis Bacon Estate.

Bacon embarked on his pope series in the 1950s. He drew on various influences, but the screaming mouths remained a significant element. In 1935, Bacon purchased a secondhand book on anatomical mouth diseases with vivid and realistic illustrations in Paris. Meanwhile, he was impressed by Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin, particularly the iconic still of the injured nurse screaming on the steps of Odessa. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Bacon also delved into medical texts, which further solidified the screaming mouth as a catalyst in his art.

For this study, Bacon deliberately avoided viewing the original work by Velázquez despite his admiration. He worked from reproductions to introduce a cage-like structure around the pope. This is a motif he has revisited since the 1950s. Bacon’s vertical brushwork frames a protective curtain, which creates a distance between the viewer and the pope. It recalls how precious objects are displayed behind barriers. Yet how Bacon painted these very lines distorts the image like jail bars. They seem to vibrate and, combined with the complementary shades of yellow and purple, create tension within the composition. The result is a nightmarish icon of hysterical terror.

In general, the pope in this series speaks to alienation. This differs from traditional depictions of power and the divine. Instead, Bacon’s pope aligns with suffering. Mary Abbe, a reviewer, commented on the subject:

For all their nastiness and brutality, there is something undeniably beautiful, even serene in these paintings. (…) Bacon (…) achieved a kind of lyricism that makes even his most horrific subjects compatible with the drawing rooms in which many of them hung. Backgrounds of boudoir pink, persimmon lilac and aqua combine with the calligraphic grace of his fleshy figures in images of stylized elegance.

Mary Abbe

Art Institute Takes Walk on Dark Side“, Star Tribune, April 9th, 1999, p. 68. Newspapers.com

5. Two Figures, 1953

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Two Figures, 1953. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Two Figures, 1953. Francis Bacon Estate.

Bacon came out as gay at a young age. As a child, he enjoyed dressing up. His father found him wearing his mother’s underwear and admiring himself in the mirror one day. Beating him up, he kicked young Bacon out of the house. The heartlessness of the person he was allegedly attracted to became, for Bacon, part of an especially painful memory.

After moving to London, Bacon realized he no longer had to hide his identity; he could celebrate it. This expression came through his painting Two Figures, which created quite a stir as a personal declaration of homosexuality. The figures drew from anatomical studies and Eadweard Muybridge’s motion photography. The painting then defined motion as both bodily pleasure and the ideal of love.

While the figures are partly obscured by straight lines that, in reverse, enhance the composition’s dynamism, the painting implies rather dark and unsettling tones. The colors suggest a disturbing encounter, and the figures are distorted to look like pieces of meat. Many believed Bacon had masochistic tendencies likely caused by his father’s abusive behaviors. This traumatic relationship was said to have affected him throughout his life. Bacon had many complicated relationships with older men. As a result, Two Figures is believed to reflect Bacon’s sexual encounters that turned out to have a lasting impact.

6. Three Studies of a Crucifixion, 1962

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Three Studies for a Crucifixion, 1962. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Three Studies for a Crucifixion, 1962. Francis Bacon Estate.

The 1960s was a decade of crucifixion-themed works and portraits of friends. Notably, Three Studies for a Crucifixion established Bacon’s preeminence among contemporary British painters. The same work also coincided with a period of personal loss, during which Bacon witnessed the deaths of his closest friends.

This painting was featured in his retrospective at Tate in May of that year. At the opening, he heard the news that Peter Lacy, one of his first lovers, had passed away in Tangier. Consequently, the free-flowing oil colors became his way of expressing his anger, horror, degradation, and sorrow.

7. Portrait of George Dyer Crouching, 1966

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Portrait of George Dyer Crouching, 1966. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Portrait of George Dyer Crouching, 1966. Francis Bacon Estate.

In 1963, the 54-year-old Francis Bacon met George Dyer in a pub, and they hit it off right away. At that time, Dyer was 30 and came from a criminal family. His life had revolved around theft and imprisonment. In contrast, Bacon’s previous relationships had been with older, tumultuous men. For instance, Bacon’s relationship with Peter Lacy was intense but also toxic and abusive. Lacy would tear up Bacon’s paintings, and during his drunken rages, he beat Bacon so severely that he sometimes left him half-conscious on the streets.

However, things were different with George Dyer. Bacon found himself in the dominant position. Attracted to Dyer’s insecurities and trusting nature, Bacon took on the role of protector. The Portrait of George Dyer Crouching reveals such a romantic quality. Dyer’s role is encapsulated through the embryonic form, while his vulnerability is highlighted by the figure kneeling precariously on a ledge. The circular sofa represents Bacon’s protective embrace. Overall, the colors are light and subdued, except for the green and red highlights that reveal the figure’s inner turmoil, as it looks downward into a central abyss—a depiction of Dyer’s addiction to alcohol and drugs.

8. Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle, 1966

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle, 1966. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Portrait of George Dyer Riding a Bicycle, 1966. Francis Bacon Estate.

By the mid-1960s, Dyer had become the dominant figure in Bacon’s paintings. Bacon described this time as a “brief interlude between life and death.” Initially, the artist’s circle of intellectuals and fellow artists appreciated Dyer’s freshness and novelty. However, this enthusiasm gradually faded, as Dyer displayed poor manners and bitterness towards them. He didn’t even pretend to appreciate or understand the paintings, despite enjoying the fame and attention that came with being Bacon’s muse.

While leaving his criminal life behind, Dyer developed an even deeper addiction to alcohol. When sober, he was distant and reserved, while his drunken moments turned aggressive. He frequently used Bacon’s money to indulge his wide circle of acquaintances with expensive dinners, further alienating Bacon’s associates in the art world. They began to view Dyer as an unwelcome intrusion into the realm where the Bacon they knew thrived. In response to this shift in perception, Dyer grew increasingly needy and dependent. By 1971, he found himself drinking alone in bars, with only occasional communication with Bacon.

This portrait exemplifies Bacon’s artistic evolution. The heavy brush strokes and impasto technique contrast with delicate impressions of corduroy and cloth. Trails of paint are squeezed directly from the tube onto the canvas. Meanwhile, the background lacks depth; it appears flat and features a neutral color.

9. Triptych May-June, 1973

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Triptych May-June, 1973. Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Triptych May-June, 1973. Francis Bacon Estate.

In October 1971, Bacon invited Dyer to his retrospective exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. At that time, the artist’s career was at its peak. His relationship with Dyer was in free fall. In a desperate attempt to regain Bacon’s attention, Dyer planted cannabis in Bacon’s room in London, hoping to get police involvement. He also attempted suicide. Bacon would leave the room they share in Paris and return the following morning, on October 24th, only to discover Dyer dead in the bathroom after a drink and barbiturate overdose.

Bacon acted incredibly dissociated after the event. He continued the exhibition as planned. However, only those close to him understood the depth of his pain. Alongside Dyer, Bacon had lost four other friends and his beloved nanny. Death had invaded his personal life and haunted his work.

In the months that followed, Bacon experienced several physical and emotional breakdowns. He simultaneously commemorated and externalized his relationship with Dyer. The darkest and most somber of these is the Triptych May-June, which reenacts Dyer’s death and the moments leading up to and following his parting. From that point on, Bacon’s art grew darker and more introspective. Time and mortality were the themes Bacon constantly parsed.

10. Study for a Self-Portrait, 1985–1986

Francis Bacon paintings: Francis Bacon, Study for a Self-Portrait, 1985–1986.  Francis Bacon Estate.

Francis Bacon, Study for a Self-Portrait, 1985–1986.  Francis Bacon Estate.

During the 1980s, Bacon shifted towards a more technical approach. With several self-portraits, he refined his technique and began experimenting with aerosol paint. One of those is the triptych Study for a Self-Portrait. In this stage, Bacon’s works became more textured. He produced gauzy surfaces that hint at bruising and medical trauma. His color schemes gradually transitioned from vibrant reds and hot oranges to cooler tones of gray, beige, and cream. Reflecting on his move to self-portraits, Bacon remarked:

I’ve done a lot of self-portraits, really because people around me have been dying like flies and I’ve nobody else left to paint but myself. (…) I loathe my own face, but I go on painting it only because I haven’t got any other people to do.

Francis Bacon

David Sylvester, The Brutality of Fact, Interviews with Francis Bacon, London 1975, pp. 129-133

Get your daily dose of art

Click and follow us on Google News to stay updated all the time

Recommended

Painting

Carel Fabritius in 10 Paintings: Rembrandt’s Most Promising Pupil

Any biography of Carel Fabritius (Dutch, 1622–1654) is necessarily short; there simply is not much known about him. He was born in Beemster, a...

Tom Anderson 9 December 2024

Painting

Contemplating Winter in Art: 10 Winter Paintings

The quiet beauty and haunting charm of snow-covered landscapes, bare trees, and soft, silvery light create a world of stillness and wonder.

Maya M. Tola 12 December 2024

Painting

Art and Science in Vermeer Paintings

As a scientist, I have always been attracted to images of science in works of art—whether a portrait of Newton, a depiction of Galileo using his...

Tom Anderson 28 November 2024

Gustave Moreau, Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus on His Lyre, 1865, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. Detail. Painting

The Most Famous Bard in History: Orpheus in Paintings

According to Greek Mythology, Orpheus was a singer, musician, and poet. Therefore, he was often depicted in paintings and sculptures, singing in...

Anna Ingram 4 November 2024