Francis Bacon

by Dawn Ades

Violence to the human figure is central to the imagery of Francis Bacon, in the "tightrope walk he enacts between abstraction and figuration". Many of these figures are caged, rent apart, or closer to the skeleton than the skin. The authors suggest some aesthetic and philosophical sources. But Bacon himself is an artist who eschews verbal explanations of his work, as well as any personal commentary on his lifestyle or history. Therefore, what is left is little text and a wide selection of full-color plates. The occasion of this book was Bacon's second show at the Tate Gallery in London.

Get BookMosh