Francis Bacon is one of the most significant figures in 20th Century British Art. He evolved his own distinctive visual approach which distorted the figure, offering a visceral violence and discomfort to his imagery.
His own reputation as a self-taught artist, openly gay in a largely hostile society, comfortable moving between the different strata of society and with extreme highs and lows in his personal life, fed the narrative and intrigue around his artwork.
An adamant atheist, Bacon was nevertheless pre-occupied by specific religious imagery in his work, returning to the intensity, violence and suffering of the Crucifixion event. He also repeatedly worked in a series of three panels, the traditional triptych form.
In 1985, TATE held a major retrospective of his work, with the statement celebrating our ‘greatest living painter.’