Francis Bacon: Man and Beast

Fascinating exhibition at the Royal Academy looking at how Francis Bacon interest in and observation of animals influenced his art.

These works looked stunning in the space. They were hung quite sparsely against grey walls which made the rich use of bright red, which I think of as Bacon red, pop out from the walls. The works looked like modern secular altarpieces.

I liked the use of quotes from Bacon in the commentary which gave me a better understanding of where the works were coming from such as that he aimed “to paint like Velazquez but with the texture of hippo skin” and “there is an area of the nervous system to which the texture of pain communicates more violently than anything else”. For those reasons it is wonderful to see these works in the flesh rather than reproduction because they are all about the brushstroke and objectness of the work.

There were some great hangs such as a room of triptychs and the bringing together of three bullfight pictures for the first time which looked wonderful in the octagonal room.

Having said all this though I still find it hard to warm to Bacon’s images. I love the craft of them but I find the images depressing. He obviously has a different view on life to me.

Closes 17 April 2022

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