Francis Bacon Returns
On September 11, Centre Pompidou opened the doors to an exhibition featuring British artist, Francis Bacon. The last time the center held an exhibition of the artist was in 1996. The exhibition presents paintings produced between 1971 and 1992, highlighting the stylistic changes throughout the last 20 years of Bacons life. The exhibition consists of sixty paintings (including 12 triptychs, a series of portraits and self-portraits) from major private and public collections. Six rooms in the exhibition play texts taken from Bacon's library, featuring writers such as T.S Eliot, Aeschylus, Michel Leiris, Joseph Conrad and Georges Bataille. Not only did these authors inspire Bacon’s work, but he also identified with their craft.
Image Credit: Samira Safarzadeh
1971 was an important year for Bacon, which marked an exhibition of his work at the Grand Palais being one highlight. However a few days before the exhibition his partner, George Dyer took his own life. The following years were marked by guilt and grief, making death one of the main themes in his artwork. The ‘Black’ Triptychs that are presented at the exhibition were painted in memory of his dead lover (In Memory of George Dyer, 1971, Triptych–August 1972 and Triptych, May–June 1973). The Triptychs show life before and after the death of Dyer, in a way this set of paintings serve as a diary, giving us a glimpse into how Bacon dealt with loss and guilt.
Image Credit: Samira Safarzadeh
Other works by the artist can be found in the exhibition as well, such as Study from the Human Body and the nearly never seen Street Scene (with Car in Distance). The exhibition lets the viewer travel back in time and get a glimpse into the world of the painter. Although Bacon's work at times can be hard to understand, the feelings the paintings evoke are vivid and leave the viewer unsettled, wanting to learn and decipher the theme even more. This exhibition is a great opportunity for art lovers, after all Bacon is one of the most respected figurative painters of his time. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity, we do not know the next time Bacon will be back in Paris, you do not want to wait another 23 years, do you?
Bacon en toutes lettres. Source: Youtube
Practical Information
Centre Pompidou, Paris 4th
From 11 September 2019 to 20 January 2020
Open every day but Tuesday, from 11 a.m till 9 p.m, on Thursdays till 11 p.m
Price : 11 € / 14 €
Reservation and Tickets only online on centrepompidou.fr
