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Artists in 60 Seconds: Francis Bacon

Irish/British Painter

for About.com

© Christie's Images Ltd. 2008; used with permission

Francis Bacon (British, b. Ireland, 1909-1992). Triptych, 1974-77. Oil, pastel and Letraset on canvas, in three parts. Each: 78 x 58 1/8 in. (198 x 147.5 cm). Overall: 78 x 174 1/4 in. (198 x 442.5 cm).

© Christie's Images Ltd. 2008

Movement, Style, School or Type of Art

Expressionism

Date and Place of Birth

October 28, 1909, Dublin, Ireland

Life

Francis Bacon is, perhaps, best known through stories of his lifestyle, drinking and proclivities - mentioned here only because they made him somewhat legendary in artistic circles. He got his start designing furniture and interiors, while his painting (on the side) developed a Surrealistic lean. His work, which burst on the scene in the late 1940s, is characterized by semi-abstracted figures, his fondness of triptychs and choice of disturbing themes.

Important Works

  • Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion, 1944
  • Study after Velazquez's Pope Innocent X, 1950
  • Study after the Life Mask of William Blake, 1955

Date and Place of Death

April 28, 1992, Madrid, Spain

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