Francis Bacon [Hardcover]

Dennis Farr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1999

The painter Francis Bacon (1909-1992) consistently rejected attempts at categorization and analytical comment on his work, and refused to allow individual discussions of his paintings in exhibition catalogues. In this book, published to accompany a 1999 US exhibition organized by the Trust for Museum Exhibitions, three Bacon scholars aim to shed light on the artist's private life and on his working methods, about which he was particularly secretive. Individual commentaries are provided on each colour plate, and three interviews with Bacon are reprinted in their entirety. The illustrations include a number of late works and numerous documentary photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This book accompanies the traveling retrospective that inaugurated the newly reopened Yale Center for British Art in January 1999. Francis Bacon (1909-1992), the eminent British painter known for his large, colorful, and grotesque paintings of the human body, was very controlling of what was written about his work during his lifetime; this book marks the first time that each painting is individually discussed in print. Included in the book are essays that provide great insight into Bacon's life and personality. Especially revealing is an essay by Michael Peppiatt, Bacon's close friend and biographer (he wrote Francis Bacon: Anatomy of an Enigma). Bacon lived a life of heavy drinking, gambling, and socializing, and Peppiatt discusses this lifestyle in relation to the work: "Bacon himself pretended he painted particularly well with a hangover. 'My mind simply crackles with electricity after one of those evenings.'"

Along with beautiful reproductions of the paintings are some photographs of Bacon's studio, which is astounding in its filth. The floor is littered with various detritus; brushes and paint tubes are everywhere. Bacon's intensity is as evident in these studio shots as in the paintings with contorted figures and grimacing, bruise-colored faces. You can practically watch the human body decay in front of your eyes. --Jennifer Cohen

From Library Journal

The Yale Center for British Art and the other museums (in Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Fort Worth) sponsoring this retrospective were generous in the production of this catalog. More than 150 pages, including several foldouts, are filled with reproductions of the 74 works in the show; extensive captions appear on facing pages. Preceding these entries are some short interviews and a pair of essays for the general reader that touch on all the important points in Bacons life and career and discuss his influences and style. And yet, something about the book seems incomplete. While the reproductions are fine, they do not convey the texture and hues of the originals, and this reviewer wished for more variation in the presentation, including close-ups and comparisons across the strict chronological layout. And there is the matter of this major retrospective missing a few key works, a problem the catalog unnecessarily mimics. Most of all one wonders about the aim of the bookor the show for that matter; neither is trying for anything particularly new in addressing one of the most exhibited and published artists of recent years.Eric Bryant, Library Journal
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1ST edition (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810940116
• ISBN-13: 978-0810940116
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #813,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Surrealism

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A flawed masterpiece?, July 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Francis Bacon (Hardcover)

At first glance, this catalog is a marvel--heavy paper stock, literate commentary. On closer examination, however, you'll note that in several cases, the colour plates do not reflect the paintings' reality. To wit, the Lucien Freud triptych, where the background color field's yellow is substantially different from the work as viewed in the Retrospective. This problem appears in several other plates. But the worst lapse is in the Morrocan landscape (title escapes me at the moment). That catalog image is actually REVERSED, or 'flopped' in photo terms.Note the red in the foreground is on the wrong side of the painting. How could Abrams makes such a serious error? For a volume costing $60, no less. Anyone who has the good fortune to view this magnificent exhibit will see the problems.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview of the artists' work., June 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Francis Bacon (Hardcover)

What I found most appealing about this retrospective (and by extension, the exhibition that it catalogs) is the great variety of material that is covered. In many collections of Bacon's work, certain (generally earlier) facets of his ouvre (the wild animals, the paintings of Van Gogh, etc) are glossed over in favor of others (the Crucifixions, his output during the 60's, the portraits of George Dyer, etc). This retrospective, however, gives an amazingly well-balanced view of the artist's career.

Even though some of Bacon's "major" paintings, like "Painting (1946)" and "Study After Velazquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X" are not included, this is more than made up for by the sheer variety of the material that has been covered. The commentary that accompanies the paintings is good, and while not extensive, the biographical information and snippets of interviews are very compelling. Anyone with an appreciation for Bacon's work should have this book.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bacon Treasure, January 22, 2000

By 

Corinne Whitaker "Digital Giraffe" (www.giraffe.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Francis Bacon (Hardcover)

If you want to add an extraordinary book to your library, this is the one to buy. Francis Bacon's works, and words, are presented in a profoundly moving volume,with exquisite reproductions and intelligent essays by curators and friends.

Bacon's haunting, provocative creatures writhe with intense agony. They reflect an inborn fatality and atheism, and are relentless in their unflinching starkness of vision. He asks no mercy, gives no quarter, and stubbornly refuses to soften the nihilism of his views.

If you can't afford one of his canvases, this book is an admirable substitute.