Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography

Three Studies of Lucian Freud

Oil-on-canvas triptych by Francis Bacon

Three Studies of Lucian Freud is a oil-on-canvas[1]triptych by the Irish-born British painter Francis Bacon, depicting artist Lucian Freud.

Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography The pair shared a connection that transcended conventional camaraderie, evolving into a dynamic exchange of ideas, inspiration, and occasional animosity. Share Share article Close. The body he paints is not smooth, but fleshy with curvature and texture. Conversely, Freud inspired Bacon to further explore the psychological complexities of his subjects.

It was sold in November for US$ million, which at the time was the highest price attained at auction for a work of art when not factoring in inflation. That record was surpassed in May by Version O of Picasso's Les Femmes d'Alger series.[3]

Background

Bacon and Freud were friends but artistic rivals.[4] Introduced in by artist Graham Sutherland, they swiftly became close friends who met frequently.

The two artists painted each other several times, starting in , when Freud first sat for Bacon.[5] Two full-length triptychs of Freud by Bacon resulted. Three Studies of Lucian Freud is the later of the two; the first one, created in , has not been seen since [6] They form part of a series of large triptych portraits of Bacon's friends painted in the s; other subjects include Isabel Rawsthorne, Muriel Belcher and his (Bacon's) partner George Dyer.[7] Bacon and Freud's friendship ended after an argument in the mids.[5]

Description

All three panels, in Bacon's typical abstract, distorted, isolated style,[8] show Freud sitting on a cane-bottomed wooden chair within a cage, on a curved mottled-brown surface with a solid orange background.

  • Three Studies of Lucian Freud - Wikipedia
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  • Portrait of Lucian Freud, 1951 - Francis Bacon - WikiArt.org

    • Behind each figure is a headboard of a bed, originating in a set of photographs of Freud by John Deakin which Bacon used as a reference.[1]Michael Peppiatt writes "Trapped here in a series of Baconian cages, a contorted Freud hovers from panel to panel like a coiled spring about to shoot out of the flat, airless picture plane."[9] The central panel portrays the figure face on, in a pose similar to that Bacon used for George Dyer, his lover.

    Brett Gorvy of Christie's considers the work to represent "a marriage of the incredibly important people in Bacon's life."[10] The three canvases of the triptych are the same size and are each individually framed.[1] The colouring is brighter than is typical of Bacon's works.[11]

    Francis Outred of Christie's describes the triptych as "a true masterpiece" and "an undeniable icon of 20th Century art" which "marks Bacon and Freud's relationship, paying tribute to the creative and emotional kinship between the two artists."[6] Art historian Ben Street describes the work as "not an A-grade Bacon."[5] It was among Bacon's favourites of his works.[6]

    History

    The triptych was painted in at the Royal College of Art in London, where Bacon had a large enough studio to work on three adjacent canvases simultaneously.[10][12] It was first exhibited in at the Galleria d'Arte Galatea in Turin, and then was included in a retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris and the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf in –[1][12] The three panels of the triptych were sold separately in the mids.[12] Bacon was unhappy that the panels had been split up, writing on a photograph of the left-hand panel that it was "meaningless unless it is united with the other two panels."[6] The panels were held by different collectors until the late s, when one of the original purchasers, a collector from Rome named in some sources as Francesco De Simone Niquesa, reassembled the work.[10][13] The reassembled triptych was exhibited in the US, at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, Connecticut, in , but the entire work was not exhibited in the UK until October [6]

    On 12 November , the triptych sold for US$ million (including the buyer's premium) to Elaine Wynn[2] at Christie's New York auction house, nominally becoming the most expensive work of art ever to be sold at auction.[4][5][12][13] When inflation is taken into account, a higher price was reached at the same auction house for Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr.

    Gachet, which in sold for $ million current dollars. Bacon's triptych did surpass the constant dollar record of $ million set by the fourth version of Edvard Munch's The Scream in May [4][14] The sale also represents the highest price paid for a work by a British or Irish artist, beating Bacon's Triptych , which fetched $ million in May [4][13][15]

    References

    1. ^ abcde"Release: Francis Bacon's Three Studies of Lucian Freud an Icon of Twentieth Century Painting".

      Christie's.

      Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography facts: The two artists spent plenty of leisure time with one another, indulging in their shared vices. Girl Sitting. Self Portraits Both Freud and Bacon approached the challenge of capturing each other's likeness with an exceptional understanding of their subject's personality and inner world. Bacon's distorted figures and contorted faces opened up new possibilities for Freud, inspiring him to push the boundaries of representation.

      12 November Retrieved 13 November

    2. ^ ab""Tax Break Flap Over Painting Dogs" Elaine Wynn". 18 April Retrieved 22 July
    3. ^"Picasso's Women of Algiers smashes auction record". BBC. 11 May Retrieved 11 May
    4. ^ abcdVogel, Carol (12 November ).

      "At $ Million, Triptych Is the Most Expensive Artwork Ever Sold at an Auction". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 November

    5. ^ abcdSherwin, Adam (13 November ).

      Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography summary Oil-on-canvas triptych by Francis Bacon. They showcase the trust, understanding, and shared experiences that underpinned their friendship. Through their art, Freud and Bacon created revealing narratives that explored their connection and provided an unfiltered insight into their relationship and exchange. It really is extraordinary.

      "When Lucian met Francis: Relationship that spawned most expensive painting ever sold". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May Retrieved 14 November

    6. ^ abcde"Bacon painting of Freud expected to fetch $85m (£53m)".

      BBC. 10 October Retrieved 13 November

    7. ^Hyman, J. "Bacon, Francis (–)" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, (accessed 14 November ) (subscription required)
    8. ^"Francis Bacon Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works". The Art Story.

      Retrieved 15 January

    9. ^Peppiatt M. "Francis Bacon: Three Studies of Lucian Freud", Caravaggio/Bacon, (quoted in [1])
    10. ^ abcCrow, Kelly (7 November ).

      Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography wikipedia As masterful painters known for their raw and psychologically driven works, Freud and Bacon pushed each other to new heights while grappling with personal demons and the complex nature of their friendship. Sign up to MyPortfolio now. Throughout their careers, their dialogue continued to unfold on the canvas, reflecting their influences on each other both professionally, and personally. Both Freud and Bacon approached the challenge of capturing each other's likeness with an exceptional understanding of their subject's personality and inner world.

      "Bringing Home the Bacon". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 November

    11. ^Jones, Jonathan (12 November ). "Why Francis Bacon deserves to beat The Scream's record-breaking pricetag". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November
    12. ^ abcd"Bacon painting fetches record price".

    13. Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography facts
    14. Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography images
    15. Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography youtube

      16. BBC. 12 November Retrieved 13 November

    16. ^ abcSwaine, Jon (13 November ). "Francis Bacon triptych smashes art auction record". Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 14 November
    17. ^Vogel, Carol (2 May ). "'The Scream' Is Auctioned for a Record $ Million".

      The New York Times.

      Francis bacon paintings of lucian freud biography book Their willingness to challenge traditional norms and uncover the layers of human existence created new avenues of expression in figurative painting. Retrieved 11 May Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. Bacon's exploration of these themes serves as a reminder of the complexities and contradictions that shape our experience.

      Retrieved 13 November

    18. ^Vogel, Carol (15 May ). "Bacon Triptych Auctioned for Record $86 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 November