Francis Bacon: Working on Paper
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Francis Bacon: Working on Paper Details
Francis Bacon, acknowledged as one of the most important painters of the figure in the second half of the twentieth century, was tenacious in keeping his working drawings secret. When asked, he simply denied making any - adding on one occasion: 'I often think I should.'More than forty such works on paper by Bacon, together with related archival papers, are now in the Tate Gallery collection. This catalogue, published to accompany their display, provides the first detailed examination of this unknown aspect of his output. Reasons for the artist's secrecy are suggested in David Sylvester's introductory essay. The sketches themselves are then discussed in depth by Matthew Gale, who considers their place in Bacon's output and traces their relationships with sources and completed paintings.
Reviews
This short book served as a catalogue for an exhibition at the Tate in London in 1999 and is one of the more sensitive explorations into Francis Bacon's artistic thoughts. Though known to approach unfixed canvas (in his much talked about trashy studio) with brush and paint and palette knife in hand and attack his story until it was complete, Bacon actually spent a considerable amount of time sketching ideas which often became his huge scaled painting. David Sylvester opens this Pandora's box with a pithy introduction and Matthew Gale presents a sophisticated, scholarly examination of this heretofore unknown aspect of Francis Bacon. The plates of the sketches, all included in the atalogue, prove startling even to the most ardent Baconophile. This is a treasure chest of nascent thought and aborted ideas.....and makes for splendid reading.