Francis Bacon Triptych 1991

  • Not on view

In Bacon's final triptych, made at the end of his career, a composite figure steps in and out of stagelike spaces. Seemingly nailed to the canvas are closely cropped headshots of Bacon's face, at right, and, at left, that of a Brazilian racecar driver, placed above muscular lower bodies. The triptych form is rooted in Christian religious painting; the center panel is traditionally reserved for the object of devotion. Here, an abject mass of flesh spills forth from the black niche. Bacon said his triptychs were "the thing I like doing most, and I think this may be related to the thought I've sometimes had of making a film. I like the juxtaposition of the images separated on three different canvases."

Gallery label from What is Painting? Contemporary Art from the Collection, July 7–September 17, 2007 .
Medium
Oil on linen, three panels
Dimensions
Each panel 6' 6" x 58 1/8" (198.1 x 147.6 cm)
Credit
William A. M. Burden Fund and Nelson A. Rockefeller Bequest Fund (both by exchange)
Object number
74.2003.a-c
Copyright
© 2024 Estate of Francis Bacon / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London
Department
Painting and Sculpture

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