Using photography, premodern painting, and his own experiences and memories as source materials, his paintings were fraught, tender, and expressive, sometimes frighteningly so. The year 1999 saw the release of the book francis bacon. Irishborn english painter francis bacon 19091992 created work that remains unmatched in raw force and vitality, and he is widely considered one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. He also curated the exhibition the naked portrait at the national galleries of scotland, edinburgh in 2007. Other categories include the artist s correspondence, magazines, newspapers and vinyl records. Bacon often referred in his paintings to the history of art. The papal portraits of 1953 explores the largest series of paintings made by the british artist francis bacon. Secret tapes shed light on francis bacons bitter battle with lucian freud.
We explore the truth about francis bacon the man behind the most valuable artwork at auction. The philosophy books that inspired francis bacons art dazed. The most expensive francis bacon paintings at auctions. Eliot, joseph conrad, and marcel proust, to friedrich nietzsche, gilles deleuze, sigmund freud, and jacques lacan reflecting the artists explicit interest in philosophy and. Francis bacon artist bio and art for sale artspace. He visited paris in 1935 where he bought a secondhand book on anatomical diseases of the mouth containing high quality handcoloured plates of. One of the greatest figurative painters of the 20 th century, francis bacons surrealist work was as often a break from tradition as it was a continuation.
Francis bacon was a dominant figure of postwar art, and his canvases remain unmistakable for their contorted emotion and visceral physicality. The book coincided with a national tour of many of bacon s paintings. Late paintings while the catalogue is called francis bacon. Art, neuroscience and psychology book cover all images courtesy the estate of francis bacon. Bacon concentrated his energies on portraiture, often. As michael kimmelman observed in a 1989 profile of the artist, he worked directly on unprimed canvases, where a wayward brush stroke cannot easily be disguised. Get the best deals on francis bacon art prints when you shop the largest online selection at. A retrospective, which analyzed the work of the artist. Bacon said that he saw images in series, and his work, which. But it was thrown into chaos by the suicide of his lover and muse.
Books and painting at centre pompidou, which completes the range of his career, with 60 paintings from the final period, 1971. Francis bacon produced some of the most iconic images of wounded and traumatized humanity in postwar art. Bacon was a complex man whose work was informed by a tangled web of intense relationships, art historical fixations, and a fair number of vices. Nov 12, 2018 bacon encouraged these productive accidents by beginning a work with a preliminary drawing, then leaving the direction it took up to chance. Francis bacon books list of books by author francis bacon. From a relatively young age i appreciated his works simply because of his vivacious use of bright colour and then, as i grew older, i came to appreciate the compelling and. This is a fantastic reference book and a good one to keep in your backpack to read on the go. Francis bacon nearly lost eye in assault by psychopathic lover francis bacon nearly lost an eye after being thrown through a glass window by his psychopathic lover peter lacy, a.
Nevertheless, his paintings have inspired some of the most standout artists of this generation, including julian schnabel and damien hirst. As bacon returns to haunt the french capital, we recall a tragic, game. Eliot, joseph conrad, and marcel proust, to friedrich nietzsche, gilles deleuze, sigmund freud, and jacques lacan reflecting the artist s explicit interest in philosophy and. Francis bacons work has always been instantly recognizable. This paperback book on the great british painter francis bacon is invaluable. See all books authored by francis bacon, including essayes. This is a small book that is able to illustrate a large number of the works of francis bacon, contains multitudes of photographs of bacon and his social network as. The feelings of desperation and unhappiness are more useful to an artist than the feeling of contentment because desperation and unhappiness stretch your whole sensibility.
His intense, grotesque style portrayed animallike forms that veered on the alien, as. Permeated by anguished visions of humanity, francis bacon s paintings embody the existential ethos of the postwar era. Francis bacon was born in dublin, ireland, on october 28, 1909, to english parents. Borrowing inspiration from surrealism, film, photography, and the old masters, he forged a distinctive style that made him one of the most widely recognized exponents of figurative art in the 1940s and 1950s. Books and painting, a new exhibition at the centre pompidou in paris through jan. Though small in size, there is a wealth of materials presented portions of the many interesting interviews conducted with him over the years, a great amount of documentary photographs of bacon, his works, his studio and his friends, including many color reproductions of his paintings. A fascinating insight into the excesses and extremes of an artist who embraced both life and painting. Explore the life of english artist francis bacon, who was known for his expressive, often disturbing paintings of the human figure, at. A new book claims that he tried to hush up the death for the sake of his career. His list of artistic influences is a mile long, from diego velazquezs dark. Francis bacon has 41 books on goodreads with 4329 ratings. Although his early works have been likened to those of the artist graham sutherland, bacon progressed to develop his own particular idiom, remaining best known for his often horrific distortions of the human form.
Bacon s unique interpretations and the intensely personal nature of his work make it difficult to visually trace his influence in contemporary art. The reproduction of the art are very well done and good printings. Francis bacon 28 october 1909 28 april 1992 was an irishborn british figurative painter. Painting, philosophy, psychoanalysis francis bacon studies by ben ware and the estate of francis bacon 17 oct 2019. His drunken excesses in the colony room club in soho. Even tho the size of the book is on the smaller end i find that the size of the paintings represented are fine and have great color. Aug 30, 2015 michael peppiatts account of his time as francis bacons confidant shows him to be acutely aware of living in the artists shadow. I am looking for recommendations for the best francis bacon books to buy. The irish figurative painter was said to have had an enormous library of books sprawled across his london studio, from modernist giants like t. Peter schjeldahl for the new yorker true, it would seem theres no defense needed for an artist who has had more than a halfdozen major retrospectives, and whose three studies of lucien freud holds the record for the most expensive. Artist page for francis bacon 19091992 francis bacon 19091992. Born to an english family in dublin on 28 october 1909, francis bacon was the second of five children of christina firth, a steel heiress, and edward bacon, a racehorse trainer and former army officer. It was his intention to create art that reflected raw and honest emotion.
Francis bacon was was born in dublin on 28 october 1909, the second of five. Recent paintings by francis bacon artist of bleak vision, composer of mystical faith artist remanded. This may, a monumental francis bacon triptych comes to. Even if within the order there may be enormously instinctive and accidental things, nevertheless they come out of a desire for ordering and for returning fact onto the nervous system in a more violent way. Francis bacon s three studies of lucian freud has just become the most valuable artwork ever sold at auction, and for good reason. Francis bacon, painter, is dead at 82 francis bacon, louise bourgeois and franz xaver messerschmidt. Raised with three siblings, francis bacon is a descendant of the sixteenthcentury statesman and essayist of the same name. When michael peppiatt, at 21, met francis bacon, the 53yearold artist was already all artifice, well spoken when well rehearsed, his bistro doctrines applauded by clinking glasses. It was compiled to celebrate the artist s 100th birthday on 28 april 2009 and was edited by martin harrison, eminent scholar on the artist, and author of the eagerly awaited francis bacon. Francis bacon has long been my least favorite great painter of the twentieth century. Centenary essays forms a vital step towards a better and more accurate understanding of bacon s life and art. Paris if good artists borrow while the great ones steal, then francis bacon was a particularly savvy thief. He left home at the age of sixteen and spent two years in berlin, germany, and paris, france. Francis bacon s most popular book is interviews with francis bacon.
The hugh lanes relocation of francis bacon s studio and compilation of a fully comprehensive database of the entire contents is unprecedented in museum practice. Encounter francis bacon and his gripping portraits, visions of the trials and traumas of the human condition, with this monograph by taschen books. Francis bacon has always been, rather aptly, something of an enigma to me. Francis bacon was a great artist, but a very bad record keeper. Francis bacon, the artist, paints provocative and disturbing images that carry a raw sense of anxiety and alienation.
I would like my pictures to look as if a human being had passed between them, like a snail leaving its trail of the human presence. Aeschyluss phrase the reek of human blood smiles out at me particularly. The title of the francis bacon exhibition at centre pompidou, paris, is as simple as it is. Jun 23, 2019 francis bacon was an english renaissance statesman and philosopher, best known for his promotion of the scientific method.
Eliot, joseph conrad, and marcel proust, to friedrich nietzsche, gilles deleuze, sigmund freud, and jacques lacan reflecting the artists explicit. Francis bacon was born in 1909 in dublin and died in 1992 in madrid. The art of francis bacon 19091992 epitomizes the angst at the heart of the modern human condition. Cheim and read francis bacon, confounder of art critics. The novum organum is a philosophical work by francis bacon published in 1620. I feel ever so strongly that an artist must be nourished by his passions and his despairs, bacon told art critic john gruen, for the 1991 book the artist observed.
It has changed the shape and focus of exhibitions of francis bacon s work ever since. Master of ebullient despair francis bacon, the papal portraits of 1953 francis bacon henry moore. I love francis bacon, but there are a lot of books printed of his work. The book is divided into two parts, the first part being called on the interpretation of nature and the empire of man. Francis bacon has long been recognized as one of the most original of. History of studio relocation, dublin city gallery the hugh.
Art prints default sorting sort by popularity sort by average rating sort by latest sort by price. Contemplating the intensity of bacon s images as i leisurely read the book. Francis bacon nearly lost eye in assault by psychopathic. The museum of fine arts mounts a splendid show of the wellknown but evermysterious irish artist. As an artist that emerged in the aftermath of world war ii, francis bacon explored feelings like pain, fear, and anger in his paintings. Selftaught as an artist, he drifted in berlin and paris before settling in london in 1928, after which he worked as an interior decorator. Apr 12, 2019 explore the life of english artist francis bacon, who was known for his expressive, often disturbing paintings of the human figure, at. 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. Jul 05, 2019 seated figure is a powerful example from francis bacons most celebrated series of works. The artist was inspired by the images conjured up by certain texts. In his powerful, nihilistic works, tormented and deformed figures become players in dark, unresolved dramas. Bacon, one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century, remained devoted to figuration and portraiture throughout his career. Inaugurated by the socalled screaming popes of the 1950s, bacons renowned series of papal portraits were the works responsible for establishing the artists reputation. He has commissioned a series of features on identity.
Francis bacon, second version of triptych detail, 1944 i wanted to paint the scream more than the horror. Get the best deals on lithograph art prints francis bacon when you shop the largest online selection at. Aime maeght editeur derriere le miroir 162 francis bacon 1966 book. The feelings of desperation and unhappiness are more useful to an artist than the feeling of contentment, because desperation and. To read more about francis bacon and countless other great artists, pick up your copy of the art book. Anthony edward mortimer, and his much younger wife, christina winifred firth, bacon was derided as a weakling and, as legend has it, horse.
Francis bacons portraits of screaming popes and lovers live. Francis bacon biography life, parents, name, death, book. Secret tapes shed light on francis bacons bitter battle. 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. The photographs included are from the mb art collection, with the book containing many previously unseen images of the artist and his life. Jul 29, 2019 artist takashi murakami is cnn styles latest guest editor. He is professor of history and philosophy of art at the university of kent. Twentyfive years after his death, his canvases regularly exceed. Born in dublin in 1909 to a domineering father, capt. Contemplating the intensity of bacons images as i leisurely read the books. Martin hammer is the author of two important scholarly books on the artist, bacon and sutherland 2005 and francis bacon and nazi propaganda 2012. 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. The title is a reference to aristotle s work organon, which was his treatise on logic and syllogism, and is the second part of his instauration. Bacon died of heart failure in madrid, spain, on april 28, 1992.
Comprised of sixty works, including twelve largescale triptychs, books and paintings at centre pompidou showcases bacons career between 19711992. Dec 28, 2019 and now this city has mounted another bacon bacchanal, francis bacon. Feb 04, 2017 francis bacon was the loudest, rudest, drunkest, most soughtafter british artist of the 20th century. Francis bacon 28 october 1909 28 april 1992 was an irishborn british figurative painter known for his emotionally charged raw imagery. 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. It was meant to put the artist on a par with picasso. Feb 07, 2016 when michael peppiatt, at 21, met francis bacon, the 53yearold artist was already all artifice, well spoken when well rehearsed, his bistro doctrines applauded by clinking glasses.